


Into The Open Air

by Acherona, trulywicked



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Laura Hale, Alpha Stiles, Anal Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Daddy Derek, Fluff, Good Peter Hale, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Human Alpha Stiles Stilinski, Implied Mpreg, Kid Fic, Knotting, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Oral Sex, Pregnancy, References to Knotting, Sassy Peter Hale, Unplanned Pregnancy, Warning: Kate Argent, pregnant woman in peril
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-07 18:24:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 99,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4273428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acherona/pseuds/Acherona, https://archiveofourown.org/users/trulywicked/pseuds/trulywicked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a little strange moving back to Beacon Hills. His daughter becoming enchanted with his odd and very attractive neighbor didn't really help matters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I don’t _get_ it Derek,” Laura huffed, “We came back to start building a bigger pack, to finally reestablish ourselves. How can we do that if my Second and his daughter live in a house separate from us?” She knew Derek’s reasons, wanting his daughter to have as normal and human a childhood as she could for a werewolf pup, to have human friends and not be the closed off person he was. Knowing the reasons didn’t make her less unhappy having her brother and niece living in town instead of at their new home in the forest. Pack was supposed to stay together.

“We’ve talked about this Laura, at length even.” Derek rolled his eyes. “We need our own place and we will be over all the time. Ziva has grown up in the city though, she needs more than just woods surrounding her.” Not to mention that Derek didn’t think he could live there, even if the house was brand new and it was built away from their old one, memories still lingered. “It has nothing to do with not wanting to live with you, we’re still family, still pack.” Derek could admit to himself at least that he wanted his privacy too. Laura was a wonderful alpha but as a big sister she could be...intense to say the least.

“I know that but,” Laura couldn’t help her whine, “I just don’t like you two being _elsewhere_. I can’t be there right away if you get attacked.” It drove her wolf _insane_. “I’ll get over it but I’m gonna whine about it until I do.”

“I have no doubt that you will.” Derek replied dryly. He loved his sister, he loved her so much but a slight distance between them, he thought that could be a good thing. “And you won’t be alone, you’ll have Peter living with you.” His lips twitched slightly, knowing that if anyone could get under Laura’s skin, it was their uncle.

“Oh. Joy,” Laura growled. It was hard being alpha to a perverted man child who'd changed your diapers as a baby. “You are evil for enjoying the thought of me dealing with Peter on my own.” She shoved him a little bit, “So are the neighbors nice?” At the way Derek’s gaze skittered away she growled, “You haven’t met any of the neighbors have you? What did you do? Just buy the house over the internet without checking out the people around? Derek!”

“What?” That was exactly what Derek had done, he’d found the house on the internet and it looked good, was just big enough for him and Ziva, it had a huge yard and the price was reasonable. “It’s Beacon Hills, who cares what the neighbors are like? I’m not going to spend any time with them.” Derek shuddered at the thought of interacting with people like that. “And Ziva will make friends at school.” He did squirm a little though, under Laura’s gaze. 

“And what if there’s a creep next door?! Oh God what if there really _is_ a creep next door and he tries to creep on my niece and we have to kill him and hide the body? What if th-” she whipped her head around just before someone knocked on the door and heard, from the other side, “It’s okay you don’t have to knock Mr. Red. Daddy’s got the door open cause we’re moving in boxes and he wants to be able to boot Auntie Laura out if she gets insoluble.”

The voice that replied was sort of panty wetting deep, “It’s polite for me to knock, since I don’t live here squirt. You know, like it’s polite to not go digging in the new neighbor’s garden.”

“But I saw a trapped sugar fairy, I had to try and save her! And you said you didn’t mind.”

Laura could hear the pout from here.

“And I don’t, but I bet your Dad might have a different view of the subject. Dads usually like to know when their kids leave the yard. What if he looks out and doesn’t see you?”

“Oh. He’d probably be sad enough to howl. Oopsie?”

“Derek,” Laura’s voice was choked with amusement, “Open the door. I think you’re meeting a neighbor whether you want to or not.”

“Looks like it yeah.” Derek was far less amused as he stalked across the gleaming hardwood floor and yanked the door open. The words sort of died on his tongue though when he came face to face with large, honey brown eyes, surrounded by the longest lashes Derek had ever seen on a human being. He quickly shifted his gaze to the smaller person with eyes identical to his own. “Ziva.” There was a warning in that single word. “What did you promise me?” He had moved back to California and Beacon Hills so that Ziva would have more freedom, so that she would be able to play outside and not be trapped by the city. “We have a large yard here, you were to stay put. You made a promise.” He looked up again at the young man on his steps. “I am sorry she made her way over to you.”

Ziva hung her head miserably and gave the most pitiful hangdog eyes in the world, “I’m sorry Daddy. I saw the fairy and I forgot.”

“Dude those are lethal and I thought Scott had mastered puppy eyes,” it was whispered under the breath of the neighbor before he smiled at Derek, “I didn’t mind really. But I figured her Dad might get worried,” the man offered his hand, “Stiles Stilinski, I’m your neighbor on the right. Well me and my Dad are.”

“What kind of name is _Stiles_?” Laura asked over Derek’s shoulder, eying the man in the red hoodie suspiciously even as her niece gasped at the rudeness.

Honey eyes flicked over at her and the smile didn’t slip, in fact it grew, “Pronounceable. It’s technically a nickname since no one can say my first name right and you look familiar, why do you look familiar?”

“I don’t know, are you a stalker?”

“Laura!” Derek’s tone was chiding. “I know you are a lost cause but please just pretend to have manners so I can still have hope for my daughter.” Derek looked between his sister and his wide eyed daughter who soaked up everything Laura said like a sponge. “Stilinski? Like Sheriff Stilinski?” Derek gave his sister a pointed look, the Sheriff had been very decent after the fire and the time following it, when Kate had been arrested and the time leading up to the trial. “I’m Derek Hale, my older sister Laura and this is my daughter, Ziva.” He fished his daughter close and placed a hand on her honey blonde curls protectively. 

“That’s where I know you from,” Stiles pointed at Laura, “You stole my cupcake.”

“What? I did not,” Laura looked at him like he was insane.

“Oh yes you did. My first day of kindergarten, my Mom had packed me two triple chocolate cupcakes for lunch. One to share with the first friend I made and one for myself. I turned my back for one second and then this sassy little fifth grader with a Balto t-shirt is there, stealing my cupcake and grinning at me in the ‘losers weepers’ way of childhood.”

“Auntie Laura you stole a kindygardener’s cupcake?” Ziva looked horrified even as Laura turned bright, lobster red as she remembered.

“Oh God you started wailing loud enough to wake the dead. The _principal_ got involved. They called my _mother_ ,” she looked mortified. She’d been young and a little flush on arrogance that came with being the best at everything. And her mother had tanned her backside among other, far more horrible, punishments.

Derek’s lips spread into a shit eating grin because he was still a younger brother and any situation that made Laura blush like that was a good one. “Oh I remember that. Mom was not happy with you, you weren’t allowed a single cookie or piece of chocolate for months afterwards, had to give all your desserts to me and Cora.” With their mother’s sense of smell, Laura hadn’t been able to cheat either. “So you see Ziva, stealing is very bad and your Auntie was punished for it.” 

The man on their steps was a strange one though, _that’s_ what he remembered? Not the fire or the very talked about trial, the fact that Derek became a seventeen year old father. No he remembered having his cupcake stolen in kindergarten. Derek couldn’t figure him out. 

Ziva nodded and looked up at Stiles, big green eyes shining in sincerity, “I’m sorry my Auntie Laura stole your cupcake Mr. Red.”

Laura spluttered as Stiles accepted the apology before asking, “Why are you calling him Mr. Red?”

“Cause he’s dressed like Red Riding Hood of course!” Ziva chirped.

And Stiles groaned, “I’m never going to lose that am I? And I thought with Scott at college I’d heard the last of that one.” He shook his head, lips twitching at some obviously private joke then smiled at Ziva, “Okay Miss Ziva, it was positively enchanting to meet you,” he bowed in a swooping, ridiculously exaggerated motion that had the little girl giggling before looking up at Derek, eyes gleaming in fun, “Welcome to the neighborhood Derek. Feel free to come a-knocking if you need to borrow any sugar or eggs or see something in the garden I am forcing my father to endure that you’d like to nibble on.”

“Thank you.” Derek had absolutely no intention of doing any of that, no matter how beautiful eyes their new neighbor had but he wasn’t about to be rude on his first day back in Beacon Hills. “And if you see a strange dwarf in your garden, feel free to just toss her back across the fence.” He ignored his daughters gasp at that, knowing Ziva she would probably think it was fun being thrown around over fences. “But you won’t because said dwarf will stay where she is supposed to, not leave anywhere without letting her daddy know will she?” 

The little girl glommed onto his leg, “Yes Daddy. I’ll remember my promise from now on. I really, really will!”

Stiles couldn’t help but smile wider at that, “Have a good day then,” and he looked at Laura, his expression gaining a wicked edge as he murmured, “Cupcake stealerrrrrr,” before waving and walking back to his own house.

“That little s-” Laura snapped her teeth shut at the look Derek gave her, “snot. I was going to say snot.”

“Of course you were.” Derek nodded his gaze level. He didn’t have the best language himself but Ziva was better than they were and she didn’t need to learn things to call her fellow students when school started in the fall. “Come on Zippy, leave the exploring outside and come inside. You still need to tell me how you want your room painted.” In New York he and Ziva had shared a room in a rather cramped apartment along with Laura and Peter, this was her first own room and Derek wanted her to have everything she wanted. Ziva was his whole world. If his gaze lingered on Stiles with the gorgeous eyes and the long legs until he was out of sight, well then that was Derek’s business alone.

“Rainbow!” Ziva declared, “But, but Daddy we have to make...um what’d Uncle Peter call it? Repeatations? To Mr. Red for Auntie Laura stealing his cupcake. We have to make him a cupcake to replace it!”

“Zippy,” Laura said with a soft groan, “That was seventeen _years_ ago. And it’s reparation not repeatations.”

“Uncle Peter says it doesn’t matter how long it’s been, when a wrong is done you make it right. Just cause you got punished doesn’t mean it was made right. Not if Mr. Red still remembers you taking his cupcake after seventeen years.”

Derek smothered a sigh because he knew the set of Ziva’s jaw, they wouldn’t win this one. “Okay, if you help me with the unpacking now, we can pick up ingredients when we go to buy paint and wallpaper for your room and we’ll bake Mr. Re- Stilinski some cupcakes.” It was easier to give in than to take the fight. Besides, he couldn’t fault Ziva for wanting to do the right thing.

“Yes!” the little girl jumped eagerly in excitement and rushed to start unpacking.

\----------------------------------------

Stiles was on his phone, talking to his best friend in the entire world about his new neighbors, “I am telling you Scott. Derek Hale’s daughter is cuteness personified. Even once you and Ally reproduce I don’t think there will ever be a cuter kid in the world.”

Scott laughed. “I’m sure she’s adorable but come on, Allison’s dimples and eyes and hair...no kid could possibly be cuter than one spawning from her.” That was Scott’s very firm belief because Allison was perfection. “But you feel comfortable about the new neighbors then? I know you were scared to have another Mrs. Carles move in. Remember when she chased us down the street, whacking us with her broom because we’d laughed too loud when playing?” Scott shuddered, that little old lady had been a soldier for satan, he was certain of that. 

“Oh yeah I remember alright. I also remember Dad arresting her for assault on minors. It was a glorious day,” Stiles kicked back his feet, “And yes. I am okay with my new neighbors, very okay. You remember how I was about Derek Hale before the family upped stakes,” it had made his lifelong crush on Lydia Martin pale in comparison, “and let me tell you. He’s only gotten better with age. Stubble Scott, he’s got stubble and the best body I’ve seen...ever. I am a-okay with that eye candy next door.”

“I never got that crush.” Scott sounded baffled even over the phone. “Derek Hale was a surly, rabbit toothed ass, frankly he made Jackson look humble and pleasant but hey, whatever makes you happy bro, you know I’ve got your back through everything.” He shifted and looked around the shoebox sized apartment he shared with Allison while he was away at college. “So...CoD online date tonight? Ally is working and my paper isn’t due until next week.”

“Oh you know it. I’m going to need the decompress after I get done with this coding _nightmare_. Oh my God it’s like it was done by monkeys and not even the smart kind of monkeys.” Stiles’ fingers clattered away on his keyboard, “How are things with you and Snow White?” He’d taken to calling Allison that ever since she’d gotten the gig at Disney, “No problems from her family right?”

“Allison is wonderful and perfect as always.” Scott let out an adoring sigh. “As for her family...they still scare the crap out of me. Her dad thinks she’s settled for a loser and that’s on top of the monthly issue and her mom looks at me as if she’s planning where to hide my body. I don’t care but I know Allison is having a rough time with how they are on her about moving in with me and working at Disney instead of in the family business.”

“Weapons manufacturing and hunting...yeah. Allison might be badass but she’s not made for creating things that are designed to hurt or hurting people who aren’t trying to hurt her. She’s just not. Either her parents will come to understand that or not. Either way I’ve got your back and hers, just like you’ve got mine bro.”

“I know and we both love you for it Stiles.” Scott would never have survived without Stiles, not only being bitten by a feral wolf and becoming a werewolf, trying to figure out what that meant while keeping it a secret from everyone. He wouldn’t have survived without Stiles period. Stiles was his best friend, his brother who had been right by his side throughout everything, good and bad. “We miss you dude but not everyone can be a genius who graduates early, we’ll be home for break though so keep that week free in your calendar.”

“I will do my utmost best but you know how it is, being in _such_ high demand.” Stiles snorted, “I miss you too buddy,” in a way that was almost violent. It had been weird, after killing the werewolf that had bitten Scott. It was like the thing’s power and wolf had crawled inside him and made itself at home and without Scott or many of the others around it was whining and painfully lonely. “But you had better not even think about transferring. I kicked my own ass getting you to concentrate well enough to get that scholarship, not to mention the years of lacrosse pain, you are going to milk it for all its worth.”

“I will, I’m milking as much as I can milk stuff.” Scott sounded sad though. “It’s just difficult. It helps to have Ally here but still...you complete me dude, without you I am just half a person. I realize how I sound right now and you can laugh at me after we’ve hung up but it’s how I feel.” Scott wanted to do well in school, wanted to walk out with his Veterinary degree and make Stiles and his mother proud but it was really, really hard being away from Stiles. Stiles was his leader, the one steering him in the right direction where he needed to go.

“I’m not gonna laugh. Cause I get it. I really do. I’m just so glad you’ve got Allison there, glad to know that someone is helping to make sure you’re not nibbling on the edges of crackers like you did that time I was in the wreck and out of commission for a month.” Separation was hard on them both and made eating a chore sometimes.

“Yeah me too…still miss you though. I’m glad you have your Dad to take care of and my Mom.” Scott knew that it wasn’t easy for Stiles either, to be parted. From the time Stiles killed the wolf that had bitten him to save his life, the bond between them went beyond best friends and family, it was something necessary for the both of them. 

Derek and Ziva walked up the steps of the Stilinski house, Ziva carrying the basket of cupcakes carefully, like they were made out of glass and Derek reached out and knocked on the blue painted door.

Stiles got up, still talking, “And you know I’m on that like stink on a warthog man. I think last time your Mom was about ready to brain me with a bedpan when I pushed her into the break room and ordered her to sleep,” he opened the door and his amusement turned into a wide grin at the sight of the two Hales, “Hang on a bit Scotty, I’m putting you on hold and no worries, no boring elevator music for you my brother,” he just set the phone on the table beside the door, well aware that Scott would be able to hear every word spoken, “Well hello to this nice surprise. What brings the prettiest fairy rescuer in all the land and her co-pilot to my door?”

Ziva giggled and held out the basket, “Cupcakes! To make up for the one Auntie Laura stole from you.”

Derek just looked uncomfortable. The cupcakes were pink and purple frosted and decorated by Ziva and he hoped Stilinski would be nice about their wonky appearance, it would be a shame to have to hurt their neighbor for making his daughter sad. “Ziva was very upset by her Aunt’s actions, she wanted to make up for it.” Derek was his usually grumbly self, mouth curved into its usual downturned frown but his hand on Zippy’s shoulder was gentle and loving.

Stiles was speechless for about five seconds then he crouched, “Those look awesome, like seriously the best cupcakes I have ever seen, but I’m afraid you’re gonna have to put them down because I absolutely need to hug you now. No really, this is a required thing for me because you are officially the sweetest girl in the world and a mere thank you is not enough, a hug must be given.”

Ziva giggled, passed the basket to her Daddy, and launched herself at Stiles, who gave her a tight, though not too tight, hug.

“Thank you very much Princess Ziva,” he let her go and tapped the end of her nose, “Full reparations are officially made, Laura is forgiven because well how could I not when faced with epic cupcakes?”

Laura probably didn’t give a single shit if she was forgiven by this tall man or not but Derek appreciated the sentiment all the same, especially since Zippy was glowing from the praise, the hug and from being called a princess. He tugged gently on a blonde curl, reminding Zippy not to go back to the hug and hug too tightly, her strength was a secret as was all her other wolfy traits. Derek felt sad that she had to hide but he knew things would be so much worse for her if she slipped. At least she had him, Laura and Peter to be herself around. She just needed to be reminded sometimes, that humans were soft and squishy.

Scott cooed on the other end of the phone because the girl sounded like a sweetheart and Stiles was amazing with children. 

“Daddy helped a lot. He showed me how to make the frosting the right color even though it's chocolate. Daddy bakes the bestest best things,” Ziva was bouncing on her toes.

“Well a big thank you to Daddy Derek too then,” he looked up at Derek, “Wanna a hug too?” He knew Scott was probably facepalming over on his side of the phone line but he could not help himself. He had no brain to mouth filter.

That made Derek’s eyebrows shoot up on his forehead and he nearly took an instinctive step backwards. “I’m good on hugs but thank you?” Derek wanted to kick himself for making that sound like a question. He really didn’t want Stiles Stilinski to hug him though, he smelled good enough to eat from a distance, Derek did not need that smell up close. “Come on Zippy, we’re not going to disturb Mr. Stilinski any longer, he has a phone call waiting and the rainbows in your room will not paint themselves.”

“Call me Stiles, Mr. Stilinski is my father when he’s not on duty,” Stiles grinned at Ziva’s little wave goodbye and waved back, picking up the basket of cupcakes.

Derek nodded and swung Ziva up in his arms and placed her on his shoulders, smiling at her happy squeal and lamenting that she would soon be too big for such things. When had she grown to be a big girl instead of his little baby? His little tadpole was eight years old for goodness sake. It blew Derek’s mind.

Stiles watched them for a little bit longer then went back inside and shut the door, picking the phone up again, “Dude I might be in trouble very soon if I see much more of that.”

“More of what? Little cute princess girls or their rabbit toothed stubbly fathers?” Scott sounded very amused. “You offered to hug him bro...what did you think would happen there?” He giggled over the phone and popped a cheeto in his mouth, kind of wishing it was a cupcake.

“You know how my brain to mouth filter works buddy,” Stiles razzed him over the phone, “But yes. Seeing more of Daddy Derek is a dangerous prospect for my heart Scott. I swear it fluttered just now. A genuine flutter.”

“Be careful buddy.” Scott became very serious all of a sudden. Stiles’ heart was huge and loving and when he gave it, he gave it completely. Scott didn’t want him to get hurt, not by the daddy or his daughter. “They’ve just moved in and Derek Hale might be the douche he was in school, just tread carefully, please.”

“I’ll do my best Scott,” he didn’t remind Scott of how him treading carefully usually went. Neither of them needed that reminder. “And Derek wasn’t a douche in school, not really. He was arrogant about his skills on the court but not anything else.” It reminded Stiles a lot of how Scott had been after he’d been turned actually, “I maintain that he’s just always been socially awkward and compensates by being grouchy.”

“Fine, we remember him differently but I never spent anytime with him so I won’t argue with you.” Scott didn’t know Derek Hale, he had never known him so he wasn’t one to talk. “Go on though, have a cupcake, let me live through you when it comes to baked goods.” He and Allison were students, poor students on a tight budget and cupcakes were a luxury they couldn’t afford at the moment.

Stiles did just that, and moaned, “Oh my God,” it was a bite of chocolate heaven, “Oh my _God_. That does it, I’m going to marry Derek to get access to this kind of goodies on the regular. Oh my God.”

Scott whimpered, he could feel his mouth watering just by Stiles exclamations. “You are both awesome and so cruel.” He eyed his dry cheetos mournfully. “I’m glad they are tasty though.” 

“They’re triple _chocolate_. If I succeed in marrying Derek I’m pretty sure I can have some made and sent to you. If not I’ll spin a tale of my poor best friend who can’t afford any cupcakes because college books cost the earth.”

“I have changed my mind, I approve of this union. Go forth my child and snag yourself a baker. Make it rain manna over your poor, poor, hungry like the wolf best bro.” Scott sniffled into the phone. “Gotta go now, mourn my non chocolate life but...CoD at eight remember.” 

“It’s a bro-date,” Stiles was grinning into the cupcake as the call ended. His new neighbors looked like they’d be interesting at the least.

\----------------------------------------

Laura was pouting, and grumbling, “It was a cupcake, it was seventeen years ago, I was _ten_. You’d think that would mean something but no, apparently stealing a cupcake when I was ten is a capital offense!” She pointed at her uncle, who was laughing at her she knew, “How did that little shit even _remember_ that anyway?”

“You stole his cupcake, he was five. Of course he will remember the monster who stole his pastry.” Peter snickered where he was putting his books in the shelves of the library. “You said it was to give to his first friend...perhaps you stole his chance to have a first friend, left him alone and friendless and hating the big, mean girl who did that to him.” Peter saw a chance to torture his niece and ran with it. “I know the Stilinski’s only had one child so he didn’t even have any siblings, who knows, you might have ruined his entire childhood by your craving for sugar.”

“The hell I did. What you think I’m an amature?” she sniffed, “I asked around, talking about my brother moving in next door to a Stiles Stilinski and ‘is he related to the Sheriff? Is he safe?’ and I got his whole life story. Best friends from _kindergarten_ with one Scott McCall, mother died of cancer when he was ten, had an eternal crush on a girl named Lydia Martin and forever enmity for Jackson Whittemore, remained joined at the hip with McCall until sophomore year of high school when McCall got a girlfriend named Allison, who sounds like a goddamned Disney princess the way people talk about her, and it seemed to start splitting the great bromance up, until _something_ happened to glom them together tighter than before. Only McCall’s girlfriend was a part of the scene and it appeared to draw a few others in. Martin and Stilinski became friends, the sort of diabolical friendship that sends sane people running, Whittemore and his best friend Mahealani began to hang out with them and soon so did a girl named Erica Reyes, a Vernon Boyd, and an Isaac Lahey. Only Stilinski, Reyes, and Boyd are in town right now, the rest are at college, Stilinski graduated early, works as a freelance coder, and slums off his father.” She added the last bit herself but really, coding couldn’t make you all that much money, could it?

“Careful there Laura, your prejudice is showing.” Peter was still cackling, it was a long time since he had seen anyone able to rile Laura up like this. “You are just pissy because this kid got one up on you. He didn’t cower at the mere sight of you and you can’t stand it. I like this kid already. Must go meet him when I go to grace Derek and Zippy with my company.”

“Have at it. I can’t think of a worse punishment for either of you,” she growled, “He’s a little shit. I mean there’s a lot to remember about me, my incredible basketball skills, my beauty, the fact that I punched a deputy who grabbed my ass because he thought I was a streetwalker in the face, but he remembers _that_?” There were other things to be remembered about anyone named Hale as well but he didn’t even have the pity look everyone gave them.

“Did any of those other accomplishments you mentioned there have something to do directly with him?” Peter placed a large leather tome in the bookshelf with gentle fingers. “It was his first day of school and a grown, in his eyes, gorgeous girl stealing his cupcake was probably the most exciting thing that had happened to him in his life so far. Of course he would remember it.” He turned and looked at his seething niece. “You certainly don’t have any issues remembering the accident involving Mr. Tubbs when you were four...though I have done plenty of other things for you to remember.” 

“That’s _different_. You’re my uncle! I was supposed to be able to trust you! And Mr. Tubbs was my security blanket! This kid made me look like a horrible person in front of Zippy!” She pouted, “And he had the nerve to be normal!” She didn’t know why it rubbed her so wrong that Stilinski acted like the Hales were any other new people in town rather than ones with a tragic past _in_ the town but it did.

"Laura, listen to yourself." The amusement faded from Peter's expression as he turned to his niece, she may be his Alpha but he had changed her diapers and wiped away tears and snot from her chubby little cheeks and Peter wasn't about to let her get away with being an ass. "Do you think we have monopoly on pain? You said his mother died of cancer when he was ten, in a family of three, do you think that loss is less than ours? There might not have been a grand villain in his case, no one to blame but I think he knows loss, knows pain and knows precisely how it feels to be pitied and have you gawked at."

“I know. I _know_ that but something about him rubs me wrong,” she flexed her claws, not in threat but just to have something to do with her hands, a sort of exercise, “And a lot of people who’ve had grief touch them hard still look at us like we’re pitiable so it feels off. Plus he _still_ made me look horrible in front of Ziva and Derek’s going to feed on this for _months_ , months I tell you. I don’t know. My wolf is growling at him and the human’s looking for a reason for it Uncle Peter. I’m venting so I don’t growl at him in the literal fashion.”

"Fine sweetie, vent away." Peter went back to cataloguing and placing his books. "Derek will feed on this for weeks, you're right about that but you could never look truly bad in Zippy's eyes, she thinks you hung the stars." Peter chuckled. "I haven't seen you this revved up since you ran into Alpha Cress at that nightclub."

She made a disgusted sound, “That little shitbag. I should have done more than knee Cress.” She sighed, “I just don’t know. The only thing I think I do know for sure right now is that Stilinski won’t hurt Ziva. He’s apparently incredibly hyperactive but never hurt a fly according to everyone I grilled. Though a few _did_ say he’d probably have liked to break a crosse over Jackson Whittemore’s head at some point in the past. And he didn’t smell off at all when he was at the door with her.”

"We won't let anyone hurt Ziva." It was said lightly but the intent was clear. Peter would wade through blood soaked streets before he let even a single hair on Ziva's head come to harm. She was their everything. 

“Of course we won’t,” she agreed, still flexing her claws in patterns now, like those of guitar chords, “and you know Derek would burn down the word for her getting so much as a papercut.” She rolled up off the couch and went to give him a hug, “You’ve been a wonderful uncle you know. Now,” she moved away, “Before we mush too much, dinner. I’m going to grill those steaks.” She headed into the kitchen, mind still on the curiosity and irritation that was Stiles Stilinski, hoping he and Peter never, ever met.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tooth rotting fluff in this chapter. Really it's just a big fluffy pool of cute to have Stiles falling more for Derek and Ziva.

Ziva swung her hand in her great-uncle’s as they walked up and down the grocery store aisles, and she occasionally wrinkled her nose at some of his food choices, “Ew Uncle Peter. Those smell like feet.” She rubbed at her nose then caught a different scent and perked up even more, twisting around, craning her neck and then bellowing, “Mr. Red!”

Stiles’ head jerked up from where he was reading the ingredients on a tub of hummus and he looked to see Ziva Hale, flailing one hand at him, her other held securely in the grip of an older man. Stiles searched his memory banks and recognized him as Peter Hale, the only other male survivor of the fire. He headed over, “Well hello there Princess Ziva. What brings you out and about among us peasants?”

“Grocery shopping for Uncle Peter and Auntie Laura! Daddy says it looks like dust bunnies are gonna move into their cupboards but don’t bunnies eat carrots? Nobody but me likes carrots.”

Stiles had to grin, “Dust bunnies eat cobwebs actually. Cause they’re not like normal bunnies.”

“Oh, that makes sense. There’s lotsa cobwebs in the cupboards.”

Stiles had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he offered Peter his hand, “I’m Stiles, neighbor to your totally adorable great-niece here.”

"The cupcake victim, I have heard plenty about you." Peter's smile was slow and measuring as he shook Stiles' hand. "Peter Hale, great uncle to this carrot muncher." He couldn't believe Derek had actually sent Ziva with him to make sure some grocery shopping got done. True, neither he nor Laura was fond of shopping, or cooking, eating was a different matter but they had gotten spoiled with Derek doing all the cooking over the past years. Now they were on their own and it was sad how little they knew or felt like cooking. "And a house needs some cobwebs, it proves it's a healthy house, your Daddy is just a cleaning maniac." He looked down at Zippy with an adoring smile.

“Nuh-uh! Cobwebs mean the spiders left or died. They have to be alive for it to be a healthy balance or there’s no predator to keep the flies away,” she stuck her chin out at him stubbornly.

Stiles chuckled, “Well you’re not wrong but if a house is kept clean usually flies don’t even want to be there.”

“Yeah but Auntie Laura _hates_ cleaning and Uncle Peter has to get the library done. It’s a big job cause there’s bunches and bunches and bunches of books but Uncle Peter doesn’t like Auntie Laura messing with the old books, he’s scared she’ll mess them up,” she leaned closer to Stiles to stage-whisper, “One time she accidentally tore up a first edition of The Never Ending Story. I thought Uncle Peter was gonna cry and Auntie Laura _did_ cry.”

“I’d cry too if my copy of the Never Ending Story got torn up, even on accident,” Stiles stage-whispered back, “So it’s a good thing your Uncle’s tackling the job on his own, saves tears all around yeah?”

She beamed, “Yeah!”

Peter melted, there was no other word for it. How could Laura dislike anyone who made Zippy smile like that? "Laura is very busy too," he corrected though, knowing his niece would hate sounding like a laze about. "She has her job and the preserve to look after and not much time to clean."

“She still hates it though, like super lots. She said she might...wait lemme say it right,” she drew herself up, changing her posture and stance, “Might actually capitulate to the soulless cyborgs of iRobot just so she doesn’t have to vacuum or mop anymore.”

Stiles laughed, “Oh that’s good. No. That’s awesome. I kinda regret bringing up the cupcake now cause it sounds like Laura grew up into someone I’d be friends with and right now I’m pretty sure she wants my head on a platter.”

“Cause it embarrassed her?” Ziva looked up at Stiles.

“Yeah. And cause your Daddy will probably extend that for a long while.”

“It’s okay Mr. Red. She’ll be your friend after Daddy stops teasing her.” Ziva said with confidence, “Don’t worry.”

“Well maybe I might manage that. _If_...”

“If what? If what?” 

“If you call me Stiles. Red is a little confusing, I mean I’m not wearing any red today,” he looked down at himself.

“Oh. Okay! Mr. Stiles then,” she grabbed his hand and shook.

His brows winged up at her grip but he didn’t remark on it, “Good deal.”

“Have you seen anymore fairies in your garden Mr. Stiles?” she said with the attention span of a child.

“Nope can’t say that I have but then fairies don’t usually like to say hello to grown ups.”

“Oh,” she pouted, “Maybe I can get Daddy to let me come over then? Since we don’t have a garden?”

He smiled and tweaked a blond curl, reminded vaguely of Erica and Lydia both, “You’re both welcome any time you want to hop on over squirt.” He grinned, “And you can bring your Aunt Laura and Uncle Peter here when they’re around too.”

“Really?!”

“Really, really.”

She squealed, let go of her uncle’s hand, and pounced on him.

Peter blinked in surprise. Ziva was a friendly, happy kid but she was usually much more reserved around people other than her family than this. "It seems you have been Zippy approved Mr. Stiles and as such such I can honestly say it was a pleasure to meet you." 

Stiles had caught her and he just gave Peter a warm smile, “World’s best seal of approval then. If you want a tip by the way, this store offers online grocery shopping. You buy it all online, set a time for either delivery to your place or pick up here, they gather it all up for you and ta-da, shopping’s done and you can continue unpacking. It is a life saver of time management.”

Peter's face fell and he grumbled under his breath. "Your Daddy and I will have serious words about this Shortround. Believe you me." Peter nodded at Ziva who was still glommed on Stiles. There was no way Derek didn't know about the online shopping thing and that meant this whole trip was just to torture him. Fucking, evil nephew. 

“Daddy thinks you work too hard...I think. He said something about the books as-mil-ateing you,” Ziva’s eyes were round and sweetly innocent.

Stiles was not fooled but he didn’t say that, “Borg books, the literature so good you _have_ to get drawn in.” He drawled, “Someone should use that as an advertising strategy.” He pat Ziva on her back and managed to get her to go back to her uncle’s side, just as a blond woman in the store’s uniform started to bustle by, “Heather! Light of my pre-double digits life.”

The blonde froze and looked over at him, and rolled her eyes, “What do you want Stiles?”

“These two awesome people,” he smiled at Peter and Ziva, “have been tricked into shopping in person. Horrifying isn’t it?”

“Not really.”

“Oh come on, you’re in the customer service industry, to make a happy satisfied customer is your mission!” Stiles cajoled.

“My mission is to finish my degree without sinking into debt so large it’s seen from space Stiles. What do you want me to do? Do their shopping for the-” she looked absolutely pained at his beaming smile, “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Stiles sang before grinning at Peter, “Got a list? Or are you winging it?” 

Peter pulled out a crumpled note where Derek’s writing filled up almost the entire page. He handed the note and the wobbly wheeled cart to the blonde, all the while looking at Stiles like he was the second coming. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. With cream and sprinkles on top.” Laura could say what she wanted, Stiles Stilinski deserved to be worshipped. “For saving us from this hell on earth, no offense Miss, we have to treat you to the sweet of your choice. Squirt wants ice cream, why don’t you join us?”

“I never say no to ice cream,” Stiles grinned wider as Ziva cheered even as Heather sighed and headed off to get everything, “but-”

“Awwwww,” Ziva pouted, “whenever Daddy says something like that it’s a no.”

“Not a no but a rain check Princess,” Stiles swiped a cross over his heart, “because you’ll have refrigerated goods that need to be gotten home as soon as possible and I know Heather well. She’ll be done fifteen minutes tops.”

“You promise?” She looked between her uncle and Stiles, “You’ll get ice cream with us sometime later, like inside a month later?”

He held out his pinky finger, “I give the most sacred of promises, the pinky swear.”

Peter watched Ziva stick her own pinky finger for a pinky swear solemnly. “She will make sure you keep that promise.” And if not then Peter would, after Derek had broken all of Stilinski’s legs. “Again thank you for this. So Zippy, where’s that ladybug lamp you drooled over? You can have that instead of ice cream today since we need to get the groceries to the house.” Peter didn’t really see the newly built, large house as home yet, but he was getting there.

Ziva looked torn for a moment then shrugged in the accepting way of children, Stiles had promised so she’d get her ice cream date, “Good luck finding yummy things for your Dad Mr. Stiles. We’ll talk to you later about ice cream,” then she pulled her uncle off to get her ladybug lamp.

Stiles just waved at them and went back to picking out hummus.

\-------------------------------------------

“And he even pinky swore Daddy!” Ziva was hopping all over the place excitedly, “So we hafta remember to get Uncle Peter one day and take Stiles out for ice cream.”

“Pinky swore, he was serious then.” Derek listened to Ziva’s happy chatter while he was making them spaghetti for dinner, moving around the kitchen with the ease of someone used to cooking and used to keep curious little fingers away from the dangers of the kitchen. “You can walk over to Mr. Stiles this weekend and ask when the ice cream date will suit him best and we can take it from there.” Since Peter had created this mess, then he could take Ziva and the neighbor for ice cream. 

“Yay!” she bounced some more before freezing and tilting her head, “I hear a new car.” She’d gotten used to the Jeep that rolled in and out of the Stilinski driveway, and their other neighbor’s sedan with the leaky fuel pump, but this one was new, and was pulling into the Stilinski driveway. She ran to the window and peered out, “It’s a police car!”

“Is that so?” Derek joined her at the window and noticed the gleaming cruiser, he did recognize the man who stepped out of it though he was a little older than Derek remembered him. “That is Mr. Stiles’ Daddy, Sheriff Stilinski, he is the head of the police department her in Beacon Hills, the boss of all cops.”

John looked up as if he could hear them, pulling his sunglasses off before smiling at the blonde little girl with her nose practically pressed against the glass of the window. He waved before making his way up to his own house, disappearing inside.

“He’s kinda pretty in an old guy sort of way. Like Uncle Peter,” she announced, “He must be _really_ busy since we haven’t seen him or his police car before.”

“As a Sheriff he works shifts, so he has probably been on the night shift before this and that is most likely why we haven’t seen him.” Derek felt a little uncomfortable that his little girl was even noticing that guys were pretty, even in the old guy sort of way. “Now, get away from the window and set the table please.” He went back to his tomato sauce, making sure it didn’t boil over and stained his stove top. 

“Yes sir!” She scrambled to set the table as asked. Dinner smelled yummy.

\-------------------------------------------

Stiles set a plate of squash spaghetti down in front of his Dad and sat down with his own, “So you saw our neighbors in the window pane huh? Is Derek Hale’s daughter not the most adorable kid you have ever seen?”

“Cute as a button.” John agreed and looked down at his plate. He was amazed by his son who could make healthy food look and smell delicious. “I remember her as an itty bitty, pink and hairless naked molerat.” She had been so tiny when she was born, just in the middle of the whole mess with the fire and Kate Argent. “Derek seems to have done a good job.” John had been worried, Derek Hale had been just a kid himself when he had become a father. 

“I’ll say. She’s a chatterbox but you can tell she’s loved and confident in it,” Stiles forked up some of his food, “Derek’s still got an evil streak though. He had his uncle do the shopping today, didn’t tell him he could do it all online.”

John chuckled and hummed in pleasant surprise as he tasted his food. It was a treat to have Stiles at home again, John had missed him like crazy when he was away at college. “From what I remember of Peter Hale, he could probably use getting out of the house and do some honest work. Even if it is just shopping.” 

“Well that’s a little mean. I liked Peter though. I thought he was gonna kiss my feet when I snagged Heather down and gave her his list,” Stiles grinned, “Got offered an ice cream date with him and Ziva instead.”

“Nice that you got something out of it.” John grinned and ate his food happily. It didn’t surprise him that Stiles made new friends, he did it wherever he went. “And now Derek will have to think of some other mean thing to get his uncle out of the house.”

“I’d say he could literally carry Peter out by the look of him,” Stiles said absently before taking a drink of water. And finding his Dad’s eyes locked on him, “What?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.” John looked wide eyed and innocent though a smile lurked at the corner of his mouth. “I just think you would like that ice cream date with the father instead of the uncle. I remember being dragged to every basketball game a certain new neighbor played in. Even though you scoffed at basketball and claimed lacrosse kicked b-ball’s ass any day of the week.”

“Oh God you too,” Stiles groaned and facepalmed, “Scott was all knowing sounding on the phone. Derek Hale is a pretty guy okay. I can ogle without wanting to have his babies.”

“Can you really though?” John gave Stiles a curious look. “You get invested, you don’t like ogling without caring. That’s not a bad thing, you know but looking usually leads to wanting that leads to loving. You wear your heart on your sleeve kiddo, just like your mother did.”

“Derek Hale is _so_ far out my league Dad, at best it’ll be a Johnny Depp level crush. No need to worry about me.” He ate another bite of squash pasta, the subject firmly closed.

Later on, while doing some research, he found something online that reminded him of Ziva and he printed it out. He’d stick it on the other side of the fence tomorrow so she’d find it.

\---------------------------------

She did, and the excited shriek she made for her father was probably heard two blocks over, “DADDY!”

Derek came rushing out of the house, barefoot and wearing only his plaid pajama pants, looking wild and dangerous. He didn’t think Ziva was in trouble, she sounded too happy for that but Derek wasn’t about to take any chances when it came to his daughter. “What is it Zippy?” He kept his eyes on Ziva and his ears listening after any hidden threats.

“Look!” She skipped over to him and thrust the paper at him, “We can make a house for the fairies so they have a place to stay until we have a garden! Can we do it Daddy? Can we, can we _please_?”

Blinking, Derek took the paper and read through it, looking at the small faerie houses that could made out of soda bottles and milk cartons. He scratched at his belly just beneath his bellybutton and swallowed a yawn. “Sure.” He agreed, it didn’t look too complicated and they still had paint leftover from fixing Ziva’s room. “Sure we can do this, the faeries need somewhere to live after all.”

“Yes!” She jumped onto her father, kissing his cheek and clinging like a monkey, “Thank you Daddy! I’m gonna look for acorns and stuff to decorate it with and make a bed.”

Stiles had fallen, literally, out of his chair at the scream and was at his window now, watching Derek and Ziva, grinning at the excited girl’s babble as he leaned on the open window sill.

“Yeah, yeah. Get off monkey girl.” Derek was grinning though as he pried her off him before his pajama pants fell off. “Go gather what you need while I get dressed, don’t leave our yard though.” She was a good girl and she didn’t disobey often but sometimes she needed a reminder.

“I’m not a monkey!” She leaped off him.

Stiles hid his laugh behind his hand. That had been genuine offense in those words.

“Monkey girl.” Derek teased with a grin before crouching. “Nope I was wrong, not a monkey...Now I see, it’s my howler who’s here, not some stinky monkey girl.” He caught her in a hug and smooched her cheeks. “Go gather your stuff Pretty.” 

Stiles could help but laugh when Ziva razzed her father and then he had to wave hello when both of the apparently heard and looked up at him.

“Hi Mr. Stiles!” Ziva jumped up and down.

“Morning Princess! And King Regent,” he gave Derek a sloppy salute.

Derek became acutely aware that he wasn’t wearing much in the way of clothing. He gave Stiles an awkward half wave since he didn’t want to be rude and then he escaped inside after one more warning that Ziva shouldn’t leave the yard. 

Stiles grinned and decided to hop downstairs into the garden, still in his own pajama pants and his sleep shirt which proclaimed his sarcasm to be loading. He’d water the plants, and help keep an eye on Ziva so she didn’t break the rules. He was pretty sure his heart turned over belly up when she squealed happily at his appearance in the garden. By the time Ziva’s father returned she was hanging on the fence, peering over, and asking if she could have that acorn cap or that empty snail shell or this funny looking rock for the fairy house. And Stiles had a little bucket to drop the spotted treasures in.

Of course she’d gathered her own things, every possible thing she’d found that might work in her own yard, but there weren’t any trees or many bushes yet so there wasn’t much but grass in her yard.

Derek emerged outside, carrying a wooden table that he sat up in the yard so Ziva would have something to put her things on and she could work on the table later. It was a beautiful day so they could make their faerie houses outside. He looked around and had to admit that their yard looked rather sad, they needed to do something about that. He walked over to the fence and looked down in the bucket. “Wow, that is some pretty things you have there.” He looked up at Stiles. “Is Hanson’s greenhouse still in business?” He needed to get some flowers and shrubs and stuff.

“Run by his daughter now, thank God and all the saints, but yeah and still the best place to get greenery,” Stiles leaned on the fence, dropping some more acorn caps from their oak tree on the other side into the bucket.

“Thank you.” Derek pressed out a small smile and hoped it didn’t look like he was constipated like Laura always accused him of. The thank you was meant both for the information and for putting that kind of smile on Ziva’s face. 

“You’re very welcome. Be careful where you aim that thing though, it’s a heart-stopper.”

Ziva giggled, “Daddy has the prettiest smile ever,” she proclaimed.

“Nuh-uh,” Stiles grinned at her, “That’s your title.”

This time the smile was natural, Derek didn’t even think about it. “Mr. Stiles is right about that, you definitely have the prettiest smile ever Zippy.” She did and Derek wanted her to smile always, he wanted her to never suffer pain or loss. He bit his lip for a moment, looking over at his daughter again. “Do you want to join us? Build some fairy homes?”

Stiles couldn’t have said no even if he wanted to, not with the huge eyed hopeful look that crept over Ziva’s face, “Sure. I think my garden could use a fairy house don’t you?”

“Yes!” Ziva proclaimed, practically wiggling in her excitement, “Do you need to get clothes on Mr. Stiles?”

“PJs are clothes in my book,” he gripped the top of the fence and, in a move he’d been thrilling about ever since he found himself able to do it after killing the werewolf that bit Scott, he jumped over it smoothly into the Hale yard.

“Oooooh that was almost as good as Auntie Laura! Do you practice?”

“Nah, long, ingrained habit from chasing my best friend all over town when he found a girlfriend and needed to run from her very, very scary Dad.”

“Yup, Dad’s are supposed to be scary.” Derek grinned. “Remember that Zippy, when you get a boyfriend or a girlfriend, they must be prepared to run...or I’ll gobble them right up and spit out the bones.” He snapped his teeth at her before going to get chairs and the other material that would be needed to make faery houses.

Ziva made a happy girl squeal and grabbed Stiles’ hand, pulling him with her to the table. 

Stiles on the other hand was mentally fighting down the animalistic leap the wolf curled in his chest made at the snap of teeth. It wasn’t aggressive or hostile. Just the opposite. That wolf saw Derek proclaiming his protectiveness of Ziva and wanted to pounce in a very NC-17 rated way. Which was a little strange since the wolf had never reacted to _anyone_ like that before. There was something though, something in the Hales the wolf responded to. Stiles wondered if it was just understanding of how difficult it was to return to a place that held pain for them or something more. He’d figure it out eventually, he always did. For now though, he was helping make fairy houses with an adorable kid and her too sexy father.

“Mr. Stiles, Daddy said I should ask you when the best time to get ice cream is for you,” Ziva was taking the items out of the bucket and arranging them meticulously.

“Anytime before sunset really. I do most of my work at night, it’s easier to concentrate then. So during the day I’m usually around the house, throwing balls of paper at a picture of my High School chem teacher.”

“Harris?” Derek couldn’t keep quiet. From what he remembered and from Laura’s research he knew that Stiles had only been a few years behind him so it would make sense that they’d had the same chemistry teacher. “Please tell me that he has been fired by now though.” Adrian Harris had hated him but he had liked Laura all the more, in very inappropriate ways. “And Finstock too, they can’t still be allowed to call themselves teachers?”

“Unfortunately, they’re both still teaching,” Stiles exchanged a commiserating look with Derek, “and Harris remains his ever charming self. And Coach Finstock is still crazy. Unfortunately I think Scott and I directly contributed to his job security. We kind of became lacrosse stars the last two years of school, helped win the national championship two years running. Harris should retire by the time the Princess here is a freshman though. It’s not like he actually _enjoys_ teaching. He’ll jump on the first opportunity to escape it and run far, far away.”

“He sounds like a weenie,” Ziva said.

“We don’t call people weenies but he is one, a tiny one at that.” Derek nodded seriously. He really hoped that Harris would be gone by the time Ziva entered high school, otherwise Derek would be forced to sick Laura on the man. 

Stiles snickered and carefully glued a baby acorn onto the ‘door’ of his fairy house, “Oh that was good. I have to share my Lydia versus Harris stories, if only because she always won and he _hated_ it. Especially when she started the ‘no more unnecessary detentions’ campaign. Oh God that was a thing of beauty.”

“Who’s Lydia Mr. Stiles?” Ziva had her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she positioned acorn caps.

“Lydia Martin is the scariest, meanest, sneakiest, most brilliant person on the planet. I had a huge crush on her when I was younger. Somehow, through a mysterious series of events, she became my friend and about as close to a sister as you can get without blood relation,” Stiles chuckled thinking of Lydia and how she’d react to the news of his neighbors. She’d probably fly in from MIT to inspect them.

“So you’re not sad she didn’t marry you Mr. Stiles?” Ziva looked concerned at the thought fo Stiles being sad.

“Nah, I’m not. Besides once I stopped chasing Lydia I saw that I had a few people eying me.”

“So do you have a girlfriend?”

"Ziva, that's a very personal question." Derek chided gently though he found himself burning with curiosity for the answer. He was using small branches to dress the 'chimney' of his house and he was glad to see that his hands weren't shaking. Derek had nothing to do with Stiles relationship status whatsoever and he needed to remind himself of that.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind but someone else might okay Princess?” he tweaked her nose, getting it to wrinkle, “I don’t have a girlfriend, or a boyfriend right now.”

“Oh you like boys too! Uncle Peter likes boys but he says that he doesn’t date cause they’re all im-ma-turny and he likes his steak aged. What’s that mean Daddy?” She turned big curious eyes on her father while Stiles’ shoulders shook in amusement.

"It means that your uncle is a great big manchild and I will stitch his mouth closed around you." Derek grumbled. Peter was the last one who should call anyone immature. "It means that Peter wants his boyfriend to be the same age or older than he is, he has very particular tastes." Derek couldn't really remember Peter ever dating, not even before everything happened.

“Ooooooooh, well why didn’t he just say that? Calling people steak is silly.”

Stiles wiped at his eyes where tears of laughter had leaked, “Your family Derek, is officially the most interesting happening in Beacon Hills since my sophomore year.”

“That’s cause we’re all awesome! Auntie Laura says so,” Ziva proclaimed.

Derek just smiled at his daughter while wondering what had happened sophomore year for Stiles. "Speaking of Laura, remember that we're going to her house on Wednesday. Sleepover." It was the full moon and it was a time for the whole pack to be together in safety.

“I _remember_ Daddy,” the look that she leveled on her father called him a moron in big bold letters, “I always remember about our sleepover nights.” She’d been coached well into using the word sleepover for code when around anyone not in the pack and she wasn’t a _baby_ who couldn’t remember anything.

"Well, good then." Derek was fittingly rebuffed. "Just don't let your aunt talk you into the nonsense that we should move in with her." Laura was sneaky and when she couldn't get to him, she had no qualms about going for Ziva.

“Never! I like our new house and we’re going to make a garden for the fairies. Auntie Laura wouldn’t want fairies around. They make her sneeze.”

Stiles chuckled, “Probably the fairy dust from their wings.” Then he started talking with Ziva about what sort of flowers and vegetables fairies liked best while they finished their fairy houses. And yeah, okay, maybe he snuck a few glances at Derek when the man wasn’t looking, especially when he was helping his daughter glue things on straight, but the man was hot and more, he was fucking adorable when he was watching Ziva.

Oh boy. Stiles was in _trouble_ if he was thinking of Derek Hale in adorable terms. Big. Big. Trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone offended by Derek's comment about Ziva's future boy/girlfriend, yes it is deeply rooted patriarchal nonsense but he's mostly joking and Derek knows too well how horribly falling for the wrong person can go and he is INCREDIBLY overprotective and never wants his baby girl to know the pain he has. So he jokes about chasing away any potential girl/boyfriends.


	3. Chapter 3

Ziva skipped alongside her Daddy down a plant nursery aisle, “An we _gotta_ get some aloe too. Auntie Laura says it makes her skin feel nice.” 

Derek nodded and refrained himself from rolling his eyes at his only child. He was looking at a list of plants as long as his arm now with all the things they _had_ to get. They would come home with enough plants to make their own jungle instead of a simple garden. Derek didn’t mind though, he had moved back so that Ziva would have a real home, somewhere to put down roots and if plants made her happy then Derek would gladly tend a jungle.

“Remember not to touch any strange plants.” There were a lot of flowers here that could be bad for tiny little wolves. Ziva wasn’t stupid and she could read perfectly but most of the plant names were in written in latin. And Derek was overprotective, Ziva was his everything.

“ _Yes_ Daddy,” it was said on an exasperated sigh but she smiled at him anyway and hugged his leg. Because even if he was silly and thought she’d forget that she could get sick if she touched the wrong plant, it was because he loved her and she loved him right back. “Oh look Daddy!” She pointed at the end of the row they were on, “There’s the bee balm. Mr. Stiles said it’s one of the flowers that fairies really like cause of the nectar _and_ did you hear that hummingbirds like it too?”

“I heard.” At least he heard Ziva’s excited squeal when Stiles had told her about it. “We _gotta_ have a few of those, don’t we.” And okay, he was teasing Zippy a little but he was only doing it because she was so cute. “Go and get a few bee balm plants and put them in the cart.” Derek looked up from his daughter and his smile froze when he found himself looking straight into Chris Argent’s pale blue eyes.

The hunter’s expression was similarly frozen. He’d come to pick up a new clematis for Victoria, after accidentally running over the first one with the lawn mower, and the purple flower was tucked in one arm as he gaped at the man his sister had tried to destroy, whose family she _had_ destroyed, the reason she was in jail for manslaughter. He hadn’t known that Derek Hale was in town. If he had he’d probably have been literally sitting on his vengeful wife until she calmed down and remembered the code, and Stilinski’s promise of what he’d do if anyone in their family broke it, instead of getting flowers.

His gaze trailed down automatically, an instinctive check for weapons, and snagged on the little girl holding Hale’s leg and peering at him out of curious green eyes. The bottom of his stomach dropped out because while she looked almost totally Hale that hair and those dimples were one hundred percent Argent. It was a stark reminder of how mad his father and sister had been, and how badly they’d wronged Derek Hale. He had a niece he’d never met before and she was standing right in front of him reminding him of his own daughter.

Ziva’s nose wrinkled and she rubbed it against her Daddy’s leg, “Daddy he smells funny.”

Derek swallowed, his hand settling on Ziva’s shoulder protectively. He had to stop himself from picking her up and running out of the plant nursery, hell he out of town. There weren’t supposed to be any Argents in Beacon Hills now. They had all moved away in shame after Kate’s actions so what the fuck was Chris Argent doing here? How dared he even as much as look at Ziva. “I know sweetie, let’s hurry and pick up the rest of our plants and go home okay?” 

Derek’s heart was thundering in his chest so rapidly he wondered if Laura could hear it clear across town. It felt like he was well on his way to a full blown panic attack.

Chris really wasn’t much better but, using what he’d learned from the one time he’d been stupid enough to push a frayed nerved Stiles Stilinski to a breaking point, he began backing up and removing himself from Hale’s presence as fast as possible. Victoria could just accept that he wasn’t getting her damned flower today.

Ziva watched the strange smelling man run away, because even if he was walking he was definitely running, then helped her Daddy get the rest of the plants. She didn’t like the way her Daddy smelled so upset and looked ready to throw up. Without her stopping at every pretty plant not on their list it went fast and soon they were on their way home, and she was seconds away from shifting out of anxiety.

Derek’s hands clenched on the steering wheel but then he looked over at his daughter and saw how much his upset was upsetting her. Derek pulled over and unbuckled himself and Ziva and pulled her into his lap. “It’s okay sweetheart, everything is fine, you don’t have to be worried about anything.” He buried his nose in her hair and did his best to calm both her and himself down. No matter what he felt, his baby girl shouldn’t suffer because of it. “Why don’t you choose one of the plants we’ve gotten and you can give it to Mr. Stiles when we get home as a thank you for helping us with the fairy houses?”

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Tomorrow,” she did her best to make her Daddy feel better with cuddles. Cuddles made everything better but maybe hers weren’t as strong cause she couldn’t wrap her Daddy up the way Auntie Laura or Uncle Peter could. “I just wanna be home ‘kay?”

“Okay.” Derek agreed and snuggled her a bit more. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before maneuvering her back into her seat. When he was sure she was safely buckled in, Derek started the car again. “We’ll stay home, have a lazy afternoon. We can order pizza and have a movie cuddle on the couch.” Derek needed that time too, it wasn’t just for Ziva’s sake that he suggested it. He wanted the burrow beneath a blanket with her, wanted to hold her and know that she was safe and sound and right where she should be.

Ziva made a whine of agreement and watched everything out the window as they drove home. She saw Mr. Stiles out front of his house, doing something with a hammer and nails when they rolled into their driveway, and barely lifted a hand to wave back when he waved at them.

Which had Stiles dropping the home repair and heading over immediately, “Hey are you guys okay?” His brows were knit in worry and his annoying chest wolf was scrabbling at him over the _looks_ on Ziva and Derek’s faces.

“We’re fine.” Derek knew his tone was short but this wasn’t something he could explain to their very human neighbor. The sharing of feelings and need for cuddles and closeness was a wolf thing. “Just a little tired, going to have some movie time.” He didn’t mean to be rude, he really didn’t but right now he was in too much of a turmoil to deal with Stiles Stilinski.

Honey eyes just took him in, no offense registering, only sober concern, and he nudged Derek’s hand off the SUV’s backhatch, “Tell you what, I’ll unload the plants and put them in your backyard for you and you and Ziva can go have a lie down,” he offered.

Derek opened his mouth to decline the offer but then he closed it again, looking over at his little girl. “I...Thank you, that would be really great.” He nodded and picked Ziva up, holding her close as he nodded another thank you to Stiles and went inside.

Stiles watched them until he was certain they were safely tucked up inside then started unloading the plants, automatically setting them down in the backyard in a pattern they’d look good planted in, his mind on what might have upset the Hales so much and how he might be able to help. It was almost a moot point when a sleek black Camaro squealed up and Laura and Peter Hale both ran out of it, Laura casting him a deeply suspicious gaze.

Peter paused and let Laura go inside, she was the alpha so she was the one most needed in the cuddle pile. He walked over and looked at Stiles. “So they have already gotten a free gardener out of you? I must say that they work fast when they want to.” 

“What can I say, I’m a giver,” Stiles set a flat of tomato plants down where they’d get the right kind of sunlight, “And since I am, should I bring a lasagna dish over? Casserole is so passe.”

Peter tilted his head and watched Stiles with sharp, shrewd eyes. “Why do you care? And what do you think is going on?” There was something about Stiles Stilinski, a force, a power. Something that made Peter almost want to show throat and that was practically unheard of. That combined with the fact that the kid rubbed Laura against her fur. It made Peter very curious. 

“I don’t know what happened. What I know is they went out, all beaming smiles on Ziva’s part and a sort of almost smile but not quite on Derek and then when they came back Derek looked gutted and Ziva looked like she wanted to _cry_ , and it just about ripped my heart out.” His head whipped around, every muscle in his body coiled, ready to rush in and protect when Laura’s infuriated near scream of “ _What_ is that bastard doing here now?” came loud and clear out of the open front door.

“Stiles, Stiles, Stiles…You _are_ intriguing.” That strength, the reflexes with which he moved and the way Stiles was so ready to protect his nephew and great niece was speaking volumes. “I would love to stay and chat but I think I am needed inside.” He winked at Stiles and sauntered inside.

Stiles snorted then made sure the Hales were all locked up tight and the SUV was locked up before heading back to his home repairs. But he kept an eye out, and nodded when he saw the pizza truck roll up. No need for lasagna from him then.

Hours later, after Victoria Argent had graced him with a screaming phone call while he was making an emergency milk run and he’d proceeded to remind her that he was still fully capable of carrying the threat he made when Allison started dating Scott out, after having had dinner with his suspicious and concerned father, and done enough coding and writing to make his eyes bleed, he was having a beer in the hammock in his yard when a squeaky hinge of a back door and a whispered shit reached his ears. “Is that a ‘shit this day sucked’ or a ‘shit what the hell am I going to do’ kind of shit?” He asked casually to the man in the other yard. 

“How about a little of column A and a shitload of column B.” Derek replied as he rubbed a hand over his face. Laura’s reaction had not helped to calm Ziva down but had triggered his baby girl to shift instead. She had just now fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion and Derek had no idea how to deal with everything. His main priority was Ziva but knowing that Argents were living in the same town as him and his family. It made him on edge like nothing else. It also made him feel helpless and it reminded him that he hadn’t even turned twenty-five yet. Still he felt so old, so tired at times. 

Stiles hummed and nodded, then held up an unopened bottle, “Beer?”

“Oh god yes...Please.” The alcohol wouldn’t do anything to him but right now Derek just craved the taste. He walked over and took the fence in an effortless jump. Slumping down to sit on the steps of Stiles’ porch, accepting the beer gratefully. 

Stiles was silent for a few minutes then, “It never occurred to me to give you the Argent update,” at the intake of breath he explained, “Victoria Argent and I have a mutual seething hatred so she called me to scream about her husband’s encounter with you until I threatened to have her ass tossed in jail for verbal harassment among other things. So...it should have occurred to me to tell you that she and her husband moved back here a few years ago. I’m sorry it didn’t.”

Derek shook his head and took a swig of the beer. “No, why should it have occurred to you? I mean you were what? Thirteen when the whole shitstorm with us and the Argents went down? Chris and Victoria Argent weren’t even living here then. Kate,” And the name still stuck in Derek’s throat like a fishbone. “Is in jail. Everything should be fine and dandy so no, you shouldn’t have to have thought about letting us know that there were Argents living in town. Though I applaud you for disliking Victoria, she’s a real piece of work.” Victoria Argent had testified very loudly on Kate’s behalf at the trial. And when that hadn’t worked she had threatened to seek custody of Ziva, claiming she could give the child a much better and more stable home than a seventeen year old kid who had just lost his entire family. 

“Oh believe me I am aware, walking in on her threatening my best friend with a knife in his own house for dating her daughter was a dead giveaway,” Stiles took a drink from his bottle, “I kinda smacked her on the head with a wine bottle.”

Derek snorted out a laugh, happy he had swallowed his sip of beer or there would have been a real danger it would have come out of his nose. “I hope it was a full, jumbo sized wine bottle.” He wondered what the poor kid that was Stiles’ best friend had done to get on Victoria’s bad side though, she was usually impeccably polite to humans.

“Dude it was Costco sized even,” Stiles grinned, an internal victory dance at that laugh happening, “Thing is Allison, her daughter, is like the nicest girl type person on the planet. Well she is until she finds out her Mom was waving a knife around at her boyfriend and then she does a marvelous impression of Ellen Ripley with Scott in the role of Newt and Victoria playing the alien queen but I digress. Allison’s so sweet she is literally a Disney princess, she plays Snow White at Disney, so I seriously don’t get how Victoria Argent managed to produce an actual Disney princess. It’s about as far apart personality-wise as you can get. So Scotty, who apparently has balls of gold-titanium alloy, kept dating her and is now engaged to Allison. So I guess I will be stocking up on the blunt force trauma instruments.”

Humming, Derek took another drink of his beer. He didn’t know what to think. He couldn’t see any Argent as sweet and princess like but then he remembered that Zippy was half Argent as well, as much as he would like to forget that fact. “I hope your friend and Allison will have a happily ever after.” 

“They will if I have to string Victoria Argent upside-down over a tank of starving piranha I’ve agitated by pouring cow’s blood in the water,” Stiles proclaimed, “Chris, fortunately, is not a psycho so I don’t have to threaten him. Though he did give Scott a marvelously creative shovel talk when Ally refused to leave him but that’s just Dad territory.”

“I suppose.” Derek shrugged. “I’m not particularly fond of the man but that is a personal thing.” Derek leaned back on the steps he sat on. “Oh god...Ziva is going to date, she is going to find someone she wants to kiss...and date.” Derek did not want that. She was his baby girl and he wanted her to stay that way forever, small and innocent enough that he could protect her from everything. 

“Yup. You’ve got a few years though. Cherish them, and you can ask my Dad for general pointers about maintaining sanity in the face of the romantically inclined teenage beast. I thought he might pop an MCI when I let him know I was into guys as well as girls. I could practically see the ‘well fuck’ go through his head.”

“Yeah, full understanding for your Dad here.” Derek nodded empathically. “I have always been very clear with Zippy that she is free to love whomever she want no matter the gender. I can’t say anything else since I like to lick both side of the spoon and I’m not about to be a hypocrite but yeah...it makes it twice as easy to have your heart broken and I don’t want that for my baby.”

No Stiles’ inner dance did not just take a turn for the drop it low hips don’t lie type of shake hearing that Derek liked his bread buttered both ways, or at least not that he’d ever admit. “Well you’ve got home muscle advantage for the ‘hurt her and I’ll destroy you’ speech, and there is also your sister. I have this interesting feeling she’d make the unworthy pee themselves then run away before any heartbreak could occur.”

“True, Laura is scary when she puts her mind to it and in worse case scenario I will just sick Peter on them. He’s enough to scare even the sanest and bravest person away.” Derek nodded to himself. He would just cross his fingers and hope that Ziva took her time, that she allowed herself time to find the right one and fall in love and that she wouldn’t become a parent at seventeen like he had. 

“I don’t know. I kind of like your uncle. He’s a little warped but in a fun way,” Stiles set his hammock to swinging.

Inside Derek’s house Laura looked over at her grinning uncle and whispered, “Okay clearly he’s insane. But maybe I could come to like Stilinski if he’s got Victoria Argent by the short hairs.”

“Oh god...why did you have to say that? Not only am I very not into ladyparts but thinking of Vicky’s parts makes me want to throw up.” Peter groaned dramatically. “And I think Stiles clearly has outstanding taste, a sure proof of sanity. Besides...He made Der-Der laugh.” That wasn’t an easy feat. It was mostly only Ziva who could put a smile on that grump’s face.

Laura smiled, she couldn’t help it, “Yeah, he did.” It had been a good sound to hear. She looked over at her uncle though and narrowed her eyes, “You know something about him, you figured something out didn’t you?”

“Mayyybe.” Peter drew the word out and rocked back and forward on his heels as he looked out the window. “I think there is a reason Vicky the witch pulled a knife on the boyfriend because that boy over there with our Derek, as human as he is...I have never seen anyone more wolf.”

She scowled, “How is that _possible_? Humans, even those in a pack, aren’t wolf. They’re not supposed to be.”

“I know, that doesn’t change the fact that he is.” Peter was positively gleeful, he loved a mystery of this kind. “And Victoria Argent knows it. Think about it...why else would she call Stiles and rant about us being back in town? You don’t call a simple human about a werewolf problem. Stiles doesn’t know about us but I bet my very toned and biteable ass that she thinks he does.”

“That guy is [i]weird[/i]. I told you he was weird. A human wolf?” She frowned at him, “What if he’s dangerous to us?”

“Why would he be?” Peter looked at Laura. “When you shouted about Chris, when we first got here today, that boy’s first instinct was to rush in here to protect Zippy and Derek. I don’t think he’s a danger, far from it. I do think we have to do a little research about Stiles’ sophomore year though, what caused him and his friend to become super tight after having drifted apart and if there were any strange animal attacks taking place around that time.”

“You think his friend was turned?” Now Laura was becoming concerned in a different manner, her compassion stirring as she thought of a boy who might have been turned into a werewolf against his will. And now a man, _probably_ an Omega, in a relationship with an Argent, “The one engaged to a hunter’s daughter? That is all kinds of fucked up.” But if Stiles stood by his friend through all that...that sort of loyalty was rare and an ultimate prize.

“I know, isn’t it wonderful?” Peter bounced in place. “And yes, I do believe that his friend was turned and I do believe that Stiles did something to save him...something that made him part wolf though he remained human.” Peter didn’t claim to understand it but it was all that made sense. “If we decide to trust him, with who we are, I think he can become a great ally.” 

Peter knew what had happened the last time they trusted someone with their secret but he didn’t think this would be the same. It might be crazy of him but it felt like they could trust Stiles Stilinski.

Laura gnawed on her bottom lip and considered, “If he really is part wolf, and has experience with werewolves...he should figure it out on his own.” She met her uncle’s eyes, “We don’t tell him. If he figures it out, fine, but we don’t tell him.” She leaned her head on Peter’s shoulder, “Better safe than sorry.”

"Okay." Peter nodded. He would listen to Laura in this, she was his alpha and she was speaking nothing but the truth. Besides, Peter had faith in Stiled, the kid was a smart cookie.

Derek's laugh drifted over again, lured out by something Stiles just said. Oh yes, Peter had faith.


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles packed his rifle in the case and grinned at the good natured ribbing from the cops who’d been watching him dominate the range, “Hey I’ve got to give all of you something to aspire to!”

“Then why don’t you ever enter the contest for the fair? It’s coming up again Froggy,” one of his Dad’s deputies teased, “Maybe you might win a prize.”

“I am content to rest in the background. Besides I don’t stand a chance against my Dad. I’ll see you goobers next week,” he sauntered out to his Jeep and was loading the rifle in the back when he heard someone call his name, and then he had a few dozen pounds of little girl on his back, arms looped around his neck, “Well hi there Princess Ziva. I hope you didn’t go running away from your Daddy.”

"No, but only because I saw her tearing off." Derek came sauntering behind Ziva, hands in the pockets of his practically painted on jeans. Ziva was even more hyper than usual but that might have to do something about the fact that they were on their way to pick up a kitten for her. Derek had finally given in to her argument that every little girl living in a house should have a pet.

Stiles finished sliding the locked gun case into the back of his Jeep, shut the door, and reached back to help support Ziva where she was still clinging to his back. He grinned at Derek, his chest wolf growling in interest at the way the jeans fit the other man, “Well good. So what brings you guys downtown?”

“I’m getting a kitty cat!” Ziva said excitedly, “And school supplies cause I start school next week. Are the teachers nice at my school Mr. Stiles?”

“Beacon Hills Elementary?” There were only two schools for little kids in their area, BH Elementary was the public school and then there was the private school, Beacon Boarding. That one covered all grades.

“Yuh-huh.”

“Yeah I’m pretty sure all the teachers there are nice, there’s not much turnover and I remember the teachers being nice.”

"I am sure they are all very nice Zippy, how can they not be when they'll be teaching kids like you?" Derek smiled at her excitement. Then he slid his eyes over at the gun case. "You shoot?" 

“Dude I’m the Sheriff’s kid. Proficiency with firearms is practically a requirement. Plus I make Dad eat healthy so I need to bag a couple deer a year to keep him from pouting about the lack of beef in his life. No need to worry about the guns though. They are locked right and tight. Both me and Dad are paranoid about gun safety.”

"I'm not worried." And Derek really wasn't, it was more that the image of a capable Stiles, wielding guns and rifles did things to him, things Derek had no business thinking about. "Wanna join us in shopping for the perfect backpack and notebook before choosing a kitten?"

“Love to,” Stiles’ eyes were warm on Derek and his smile widened when Ziva gave a little cheer and tightened her arms around his neck.

“I bet you know all the best places. Oooh is there someplace that has picture backpacks? Auntie Laura says we need to support the local econermy and get as much as we can from shops that are owned by the people who live here and not bloodless vampires. Are there vampires in Beacon Hills Mr. Stiles?”

He laughed and locked up his Jeep before moving to walk alongside a facepalming Derek, “Not that I’ve ever met. Your Aunt means that it’s better to give the money to local people instead of big corporations like WalMart.”

“Then how come she called them vampires?”

"Because the sit in their office all day, counting their money, afraid of the sun." Derek snarked, watching his daughter who didn't seem like she was about to let go of Stiles in a hurry. "What sort of picture backpack are you looking for?" Derek tried to keep up but Ziva's tastes seemed to change by the hour.

“Fairies or wolves!” she proclaimed. “I like fairies, they’re really pretty but a fairy pencil case would be better than a backpack cause fairies are tiny.”

“So a wolf backpack is what your heart desires then, because wolves are awesome?” Stiles asked.

“Yuh-huh! You like wolves Mr. Stiles?” Ziva asked hopefully.

“I _love_ wolves. There’s actually a reserve a couple towns over that me and my best friend used to volunteer at before college. They’re one of the leading facilities that are trying to reintroduce wolves to California. Best volunteer job ever. Scott and I had the job of getting to put food out in the hunting simulators and the pack was gorgeous when they got to work.” He’d loved volunteering there and watching the interactions between the wolves had helped him learn how to help Scott even better.

Derek watched his daughter melt into a puddle of admiring goo at those words. If she hadn't already had a little girl crush on Stiles before, she certainly did now. Derek was more worried about the slight warmth in his own belly toward the other man. Derek couldn't afford such complications in his life. "We'll see what kind of bags they have for you to choose from." To Derek a wolf backpack sounded like a longshot to find, he had a sneaky feeling they were mostly princesses and superheroes.

Stiles chuckled, “School shopping is best done at Lady Loverty’s,” he nodded at a shop across the street, “Especially around now since the Back to School rush is long over. She always stocks all her designs,” at the concerned look on Derek’s face, he reached over to pat him on the arm, “Don’t worry Lala doesn’t charge much more than a regular backpack. She likes seeing kids get what they really want instead of settling for mass marketed s....illiness,” he edited himself.

Derek looked down at the hand on his arm like it was an alien touching him but nodded all the same. The town seemed the same but when it came to things like this, a lot had changed in the near decade the had been gone from it. It was a good thing they had Stiles to guide them. “Okay, then it looks like Lady Loverty’s is the first stop.” His ears rang from Ziva’s gleeful whoop.

“To the crosswalk!” Stiles announced giving Derek’s arm a squeeze before letting go and leading the way across the street and into the boutique.

“Ooooh!” Ziva wriggled down from Stiles back and went to inspect the rotating racks of backpacks made of various sorts of quilted fabrics, some of them shaped into things like dinosaurs, butterflies, or a heart. 

“We are not walking out with the whole store, just the necessities.” Derek warned because he recognized that gleam in his daughter’s eyes. He stood in a corner, looking looming and brooding as he let Ziva browse, with his leather jacket and his stubble, he looked more like a villain than a dad. “Thank you for coming with us.” He looked over at Stiles. “Ziva doesn’t say it but I know she’s worried about starting a new school, having you with her as she shops takes her mind off that so thank you.”

The honey eyes went soft and understanding, “New schools and new people never get any easier. I’m glad I can help. You know who her teacher is going to be? I know pretty much everyone in this town so I can give the heads up on ways to ingratiate oneself to a teacher.”

Derek dug into his pocket and pulled out the letter he had gotten from school that listed what Ziva would need and what her schedule would be. “Hmm, an Erica Reyes is her teacher. Know her?”

Stiles laughed, actually bent over and laughed, “Dude...Ziva’s golden. Erica’s like the _queen_ teacher. She rules her classroom with a jaded eye and a heart of gold. Bullying does not happen in her class, not even once. She loves, absolutely loves, kids in all shapes, sizes, and abilities, loves helping them reach their potential. Not too fond of the parents as a rule though. Bring cupcakes to save yourself. All Ziva will have to do is the traditional entrance introduction and Erica will melt.”

That sounded good, Erica Reyes sounded like a good teacher then, if a little scary. As long as she treated Ziva right though, then Derek couldn’t care less if she liked him as a parent or not. “Okay.” He couldn’t stop the relieved sigh that escaped him. “That sounds good, great even and I will remember the cupcakes. Any particular flavor? Or is chocolate the way to go?” He watched Ziva try to decide between two backpacks, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she did her best to choose.

“Absolutely chocolate is the way to go,” Stiles grinned, “drop that you live next to me and your chances of a good impression go way up. Find or create a good low carb recipe for the cupcakes and she might kiss you. She’s on a ketogenic diet, low carbs, high fats, to help deal with seizures. That’s also why she’s got a TA, that should be in the letter too. Boyd, Don’t Call Me Vernon, looks like a big grizzly but he is almost like a literal teddy bear.”

Derek read the letter again and sure enough, TA Vernon Boyd was listed there. “Look at you, being all useful...Could get used to that.” He gave Stiles a small grin and mentally tried to figure out a low carb recipe that would still be tasty. Everything he did in a kitchen was a result of trial and error, before Ziva he hadn’t been able to boil water without burning it. 

“I am a useful guy to have around,” Stiles heard a loud squeal and saw a hasty rush to put the original two backpacks on their hooks before Ziva dove behind a bunch of others to clutch another to herself, “Sounds like she’s found her backpack.”

“Yup.” Derek nodded, looking at his daughter with his heart in his eyes. It still amazed him that he and Kate had created something like her. That two twisted and broken people had somehow made perfection. “What did you find sweetheart?” 

“Look Daddy,” she was jiggling in place so much her curls were bouncing, “It’s got fairies _and_ wolves!” She held out the backpack that, sure enough, was made of fabric printed with fairies and wolves in various states of play and living. “It’s _perfect_!”

“It is.” Derek agreed, the backpack was beautiful, like something out of a story book but it was the way it made Ziva nearly vibrate out of her skin with happiness that sealed the deal of him. “And since you’re perfect too, that is definitely the backpack for you.”

Stiles was officially just a puddle of Stilesian goo on the floor from watching them when Ziva launched herself at Derek in a hug. Every last part of him, from the scared little boy holding his mother’s hand in the hospital to the grown-ass adult paying off student loans to the chest wolf, tumbled ass over end for the father and daughter hugging it out in front of him. Ziva’s happiness was beautiful but Derek’s awed and grateful expression as he hugged his daughter made his heart go belly up and whine pleadingly. Stick a fork in him people, he was _done_.

Derek hugged his daughter tightly, appreciating and being grateful for each and every hug she was still willing to give him in public and in private. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and took the backpack so that he would be able to pay for it. “Is there anything else from here that you’ll need?” 

“Should I get a lunch box?” She asked, “Or did we find the containers that don’t leak?”

“Eh...get a lunch box.” Derek decided. “Better to be safe than to find your new backpack full of food, that would be a nasty surprise.” He released her so she could go on a hunt for the perfect lunch box as well. “Thank you so much for recommending this place, look at her, so happy.” Derek smiled brightly at Stiles.

He could feel his chest wolf practically trying to crawl _out_ of him and go cuddle up to Derek and that smile did _not_ help. He responded to it, absolutely no way he could do anything but respond, like what probably resembled a human smile and shut up heart and stop trying to tango out of his throat please. He opened his mouth to respond, then jumped when a creaky voice came from behind him.

“This boy’s made it his mission in life to steer people to my door,” an old, very possibly prehistoric, woman that may have been the visual inspiration for Yzma came into view, “He’s a sweet boy, always has been.” A sharp eye swept over Derek, “The Hale boy then. Welcome back and don’t you go breaking Grim’s heart you hear?”

Derek blinked, eyes growing wide and a little startled. For all his enhanced senses, he hadn’t heard or smelled the woman come closer. Also, he had no idea who Grim was and he wasn’t planning on breaking any hearts. “I try to leave all hearts alone Ma’am, safer that way...and thank you I suppose.” Thankfully he didn’t see any pity or loathing in the old woman’s gaze, he’d had plenty of both since he got back.

“Sweet God Lala you scared me half to death,” Stiles patted his heart, “How do you _do_ that anyway?”

“I’m older than dirt, that’s how,” she pat his cheek, “Be a good boy Grim and don’t lie. And you,” she gave Derek another hawkish look, “Keeping your heart safe is a boring, lonely existence even with family. Remember that.” Then she floated back to behind the counter.

Stiles cleared his throat, “Well...she likes you.”

Green eyes met honey colored ones. “That’s like?” Okay, the lady was scary but Derek gladly took scary over devious any day. “Also Grim? There is a story there that I will wheedle out of you someday.” Derek’s eyes narrowed teasingly.

“Uck, it’s my name...well short for my name. Almost no one can pronounce my actual name, not even my Dad. So Stiles, but Lala, for all her charm, is contrary and calls me Grim. She used to babysit me so she’s granted leeway.”

Ziva came running up with a rainbow lunchbox that had a fairy on it, “Done!”

“Great!” Derek grinned, not at all surprised, by the rainbow or the fairy. Happy though that she had found a lunch box with her favorite things on it. “Let’s pay and continue our shopping.” He took the box and walked to the register to pay for it and the backpack. 

Stiles somehow managed to make a purchase of his own before they left the store, handing the brown paper bag Lala put it in to Ziva while Derek went to put the backpack and lunch box in his SUV, “Got it for your Aunt Laura, peace offering.”

Ziva peered into the bag then giggled and tucked it into the front pocket on her pink overalls, “I’ll give it to her next Sleepover.”

Looking over Derek caught the smug smile on Ziva’s face, the expression she always got when she had a secret. He saw almost the exact same expression on Stiles and decided it was best not to ask. “So, let’s get the boring stuff like notebooks, pens and such out of the way so we can get the kitty.” 

“Notebooks are only boring for adults my fine friend,” Stiles announced, “Isn’t that right Princess?”

“They make them pretty now Daddy!” She announced, which was both agreement and rescue for pride just in case, and skipped down the sidewalk between them to the office supply shop, where she picked out rainbow pencils, colored pens, the twenty count box of crayons, a fairy pencil case, and four Lisa Frank notebooks.

He couldn’t really see how all of this would be necessary but Derek knew that Ziva and apparently Stiles knew this better than he did so he kept quiet, except for oohing and aahing over Ziva’s choices and paid for them. “I just stole Laura or Co-...Cora’s stuff when I was in school, worked perfectly.” Derek still couldn’t say his baby sister’s name without choking on it. He doubted he ever would. 

Stiles slid a hand over one entirely too well muscled shoulder in silent understanding, “It’s a coolness factor thing, and self-expression and blah, blah, blah a bunch of things my guidance counselor spouted when I rolled my eyes at her suggestions that I start picking out things that made a _statement_ about who I am. Of course my answer to all that was that I was lazy and so long as it worked and didn’t cost an arm and a leg I didn’t _care_. I leave the statements to my shirts.”

Derek’s eyes slid over Stiles’ frame, taking in the studmuffin shirt, stretched across a delicious chest. “I can see that.” 

He chuckled, “I’ve had this one since I was fifteen. I think there was a joke involved when I got it but I can’t remember what it was anymore.” He tried to ignore the tingle that gaze gave him, tried to tell himself that he’d imagined that quick flash of heat in Derek’s eyes...it wasn’t easy.

“I’m impressed that you can have clothes for so long, I manage to tear or stain mine beyond repair in months. If it wasn’t for Laura forcing me to shop, I would probably walk around naked.” Derek found the shirt Stiles wore very fitting and he couldn’t help but wonder what Stiles would look like without it.

He couldn’t help the leap of his pulse at the thought of Derek naked, nor the hungry growl of his chest wolf, because _Derek naked_. Fortunately for him Ziva came up and jumped on his back again, letting him cover his reactions with a soft ‘oof’ and settling her for another piggyback ride again. “So we off to the shelter now to find you a fluff ball?”

Derek watched Ziva’s enthusiastic nod and nodded himself. “The shelter it is.” Ziva and Derek had decided very early on in their negotiations of the pet issue that it would be a shelter cat. “Would you like to join us for dinner later as a thank you for putting up with us today?” Derek couldn’t believe that he had asked but he liked Stiles’ company, he really did.

Stiles mentally slapped down his stupid, giddy reaction because he knew it wasn’t a date dinner. God did he want it to be but he knew it wasn’t. He wasn’t going to turn it down though either, “There is no ‘putting up with’ here. I like you and Ziva, obviously I like Ziva more,” a giggle sounded in his ear, “but still, liking is going on. So yes I’ll have dinner with you guys.”

“Great, be prepared to be wowed by the Hale’s all amazing beef stew.” Derek’s grin was happy and honestly proud because no one with taste buds could dislike his stew. It was cooked over night and it was so tender it fell apart before it reached your mouth. The shelter came into sight and Ziva put her heels in Stiles’ side like he was a pony.

“Whoa easy there Princess,” Stiles caught her feet in his hands, “I have ribs there.”

“Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Ziva had forgotten herself and she sounded scared. She didn’t want to have hurt Stiles on accident and she started to slide down his back.

“No. I’m not hurt,” he managed to catch her on the slide and swing her around so she was perched on his hip, and gave her a squeeze, “Just very ticklish.”

“Oh careful there, you can’t give Zippy ammunition like that.” Derek warned, his eyes traveling over Stiles again, wondering to himself where else he could be ticklish, what spots he could touch to make Stiles squirm. “She’s evil deep down and has no qualms about using your weaknesses against you.”

“I refuse to believe that Princess Ziva is evil. Never, never I say. But Princesses are allowed to be ruthless in love and war and ruling. They can’t _always_ be nice, unless they’re in a Disney movie, right Ziva?”

She nodded, “Uh-huh! Princesses have to be tough!”

“Of course they have to be tough, they have a kingdom to defend.” Derek agreed, he was confident that Ziva would grow up, knowing how to take care of herself, she had the best role model ever in Laura, alpha and general badass. “But sometimes you cloak yourself in the role as a villain instead of the princess...remember Peter’s shoes.”

“He hid my pony!” She protested as they stepped into the shelter, “And he wouldn’t tell me where. Said I had to sniff her out myself. Auntie Laura said I was ‘well within my rights’ even.”

Derek stiffened and gave Ziva a warning look, no talk about wolfiness or sniffing things when they were with others. Derek could tell she felt comfortable around Stiles, like he was family but still, no spilling their secrets. “Auntie Laura says a lot of things you shouldn’t listen to.”

Ziva tucked her head down. She’d heard humans say they sniffed things out before so she thought it was a safe word to use but her Daddy obviously didn’t and it made her scrunch up like the scolded puppy she was.

“Uncles should never hide toys so your Aunt was I’d say half right. Unless you were being punished,” Stiles pat her on the back, “Were you?”

“Uh-uh, Uncle Peter was trying to teach me something.”

“Well boo on him then.”

“Very boo, still, tell Stiles what you did to your uncle’s shoes.” Derek reached out and pulled on a golden curl, showing his cub that he wasn’t upset with her. This was supposed to be a happy day for her and Derek did not want to ruin it. 

“I am curious,” Stiles paused to be directed by a volunteer to the kitty room, “so spill.”

She hid her face in his shoulder, “I smashed rotten eggs on the inside and drew poo piles on them.”

Stiles chewed on the insides of his lips to keep from laughing.

Derek’s shoulders were shaking as well because it really was hilarious but Derek couldn’t condone such behavior, he was a father and he was the one that should teach Ziva better than that. “His five hundred dollar suede sneakers.” Derek added. He would never forget the look on his uncle’s face when he found the shoes, Peter had actually cried and cooed over the shoes like babies.

Stiles had to snicker, he just had to, “Ouch. I think _my_ wallet twinged in sympathy. Still it was ruthless and devious. Marker problems can be dealt with but rotten egg is forever.”

“Yup, as I said, a supervillain in the making when she wishes to be one.” Derek nodded, trying his very best to suppress his amusement. “But enough of that, come now, the kitty cats await us.” 

Stiles stepped into the room and set Ziva down before removing himself to a corner, vaguely amused when the majority of cats vacated his vicinity. It had been like that since he’d acquired his chest wolf. Animals tended to sense there was something not quite human about him and ran away.

Derek was surprised to see the cats behave like they did when Laura came near them. He couldn’t sense anything different about Stiles but then again, he wasn’t a cat either. They were strange creatures. He kept glancing over at Stiles though, as Ziva chose her kitty.

Ziva was in little girl heaven surrounded by the kitties coming up to her so she didn't notice all the ones fleeing from Stiles. How was she going to choose? They were all so cute and sweet.

Derek had called ahead to the shelter so the personal was fine with Ziva petting and looking and choosing. The adoption papers were ready to be signed and Derek was ready to pay the fee. He knew this was a very important decision and Ziva was the one having to make it. He had caught sight of a grey striped little kitten who looked more like a tiny dustbunny than anything else but it was not his kitten they were here to pick out.

Ziva chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at Mr. Stiles. Scent was an important part of anything she did but she couldn’t use her nose the right way in front of the human man. How could she convince him to look away without sounding mean?

Stiles tilted his head in concern and was about to ask what was wrong when his phone rang. He pulled it out and answered a Scott in midst of a freak out.

“Stiles! Oh my god Stiles, I don’t know what to do, tell me what I am going to do!” Scott’s voice was loud and shrill and he had ran his hand through his hair so many times he feared he was about to grow bald before he turned twenty-three. “Allison...I...We...Stiles, WE’RE PREGNANT!” The last words were screeched out.

Stiles slumped out of the extreme tension that had gripped him and started out of the room, hissing in a royally pissed off tone as cats ran away from him, “Goddamn it Scott you scared the hell out of me! I thought you were in trouble in the less than classic sense. You can’t _do_ that to me when you’re there and I’m here.” His wolf was still clawing at the inside of his chest from the gut wrenching thought of Scott being in danger so far away, “It was hard enough to manage to move back and not drag you with me.”

“I’m sorry.” Scott whined in submission, he hated it when Stiles scolded him like that, even when Stiles was right. “I’m sorry but still Stiles, we’re going to have a baby...I have a year and a half left of school...We live in a shoebox. How can we afford a baby?” 

Stiles clunked his head back against the wall outside the kitty room and calmed himself down, “Breathe Scott. First, how far along is Ally?”

“Not long at all, just barely. I mean I noticed her scent shifting slightly but not more than that.” Scott did his best to breathe and to swallow his heart down from where it was lodged in his throat. 

“So about a week then,” Stiles rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Okay first my crazy making friend, I have four words for you, in sets of two. Baby shower. Lydia Martin. Believe me you will have all the essentials by the time Ally gives birth.”

Scott let out another whine because he wasn’t succeeding in calming down at all. “I love Allison, I want to spend the rest of my life with her and have a dozen dimpled babies but oh my god...I live on cheetos and Call of Duty. I am childish and how am I ever supposed to be a good father?”

“You’re kidding me right? Scott you move the earth for the people you love idiot. You’re going to be the best father on the planet.”

“I don’t know...I don’t think so.” Scott chewed on his bottom lip. “I can be a real shit, what if I turn out like my own spermdonor? I am just so scared. What if I fuck up? Make both Allison and the baby hate me?” 

“Scott you couldn’t be like that douche canoe if you _tried_. Hey, who has dealt with you at your most assholish hmm?” Stiles asked.

“You have and do.” Scott sounded miserable. “But you’re not _here_.” Scott knew that Stiles had his own life and that was great but at times like these he missed his alpha and more than that, his best friend and brother. “I am so fucking scared.”

“I know but if you need me there I will pack my shit and drive down to you tonight. You know that right? And of course you’re scared, I’d have to drive down just to smack you if you weren’t. But as the guy who has dealt with you at your worst for years I can tell you that while you will make mistakes, it happens people do, you would cut your own heart out before hurting your kid or Allison the way your sperm donor did you and Melissa.” Stiles put as much of a soothing tone to his voice as he could, “Now do you need me to pack my crap and move to Anaheim?”

Scott thought about it, thought about being selfish and saying yes but he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that to Stiles. If Scott was to become a dad, then he needed to grow up and stop leaning on Stiles for everything. “Nah...Just talking to you helps. Expect more freaked out phone and Skype calls though. And we’ll still be home for break.”

“You’d better be. I will drag you here for Christmas if I have to. Where’s Allison right now by the way?” Stiles needed to know. Allison was pack and knowing that she was pregnant...it had all his protective instincts up and agitated.

“She’s on the roof right now, having target practice on her pills and my condoms.” Scott knew that was Allison’s own way of dealing with it. They had not planned on starting a family right now. “I’m keeping tabs on her heart, making sure she’s okay.”

“Have her give me a call when she’s done shooting the contraceptives to hell,” Stiles said and it wasn’t really a request.

“She will, the only reason I called first is because I called best bro privilege and dove on the phone.” Scott finally calmed down enough to sound amused. “Promise you that she will call you. Thank you for listening to me.” 

“That is my _job_ as best bro and ya know, the other thing,” Stiles waved a hand even though Scott couldn’t see him, “Before you snicker, I am among the masses, euphemisms and generalizations are key.”

“And such great euphemisms and generalizations they are.” Scott did snicker anyway. “Still, thank you. We’ll talk later and Ally will call. I’ll let you go back to the masses now bro.”

Stiles razzed him as Scott disconnected then closed his eyes for a few minutes to get a hold on the howling wolf in his chest that was prodding him to go down to Anaheim.

“Mr. Stiles?”

Ziva’s voice had him snapping his eyes open, a quick choke down on the wolf hopefully keeping the red out of them, and then he was crouching to her level, “Yeah Princess?”

“Are you okay? You looked upset when you went out,” Ziva was holding a tiny gray kitten in her arms.

“Yeah I’m okay. My friend just called and he was having a moment. He scared me with the way he had his moment,” he tapped her on the nose, “But he’s okay. So is this going to be your kitty?” He carefully scritched the kitten’s ears, surprised when it purred instead of taking a swipe at him.

“Yuh-huh! I’m gonna name him Squiggles!” She looked bright and excited again.

Derek came out after having signed all the paperwork and paid for the kitten as well as all the supplies needed to adopt an animal. His arms were loaded with a cat carrier, litter box, food and everything else a little kitty cat could need. He was so happy happy that Ziva had picked the dust bunny kitten all on her own. “You sure you’re alright?” He gave Stiles a concerned look.

“Yeah. Scott just had a freak out,” he gave Derek a smile, “Over a not really bad but a complicated thing so he called having a spazz at the top of his lungs and got me worried before getting to the point. Point was gotten to, I talked him down from the metaphorical roof, and all is good.”

“That’s good.” Derek started to walk toward his SUV before he dropped everything that he was carrying. “Sometimes you just need to talk to family, I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t know I could pick up the phone and Laura or Peter will answer and help me with whatever freak out I am having at the moment.” 

Stiles automatically picked Ziva up, much to her delight, and followed, “I know the feel. But I somehow can’t see you just screaming ‘Oh my God what am I going to do?’ into the phone at your sister without any sort of opening point or segue.”

“I could…” Derek started but then stopped himself because no, he probably wouldn’t. Mostly because Laura would freak even worse if he did that and start screaming about hiding the body. “No, I probably wouldn’t no.” 

“Uh-huh,” Stiles nodded in gentle amusement, “Because you, unlike my best friend, think your phone calls, even the freak out ones, through.”

“What was he so scared about Mr. Stiles?” Ziva rubbed her cheek against her kitten’s.

“Ah, he found out he’s gonna be a Dad a littler earlier than he and his fiance were planning on. He’s happy about it but he’s scared too.”

“How come?” Ziva frowned, “Doesn't he like babies?”

“He’s scared he’s not going to be a good Daddy, that his baby will hate him.” Stiles shrugged.

Oh Derek could sympathize with that, oh boy could he. He had been scared shitless before and long after Ziva had been born that he would be such a crappy father he would ruin her for life. “It’s okay to be scared. When you have a baby...suddenly you care for the most precious, important, most wonderful being in the world. It is wonderful but also so, so scary.” He looked over at his little girl. “So Scott and Allison Argent are going to have a baby?” Derek thought about it...it was Ziva’s cousin who was about to become a mom, jesus christ.

“Yeah. Not too far along, just found out. Allison’s using the failed contraceptives as target practice right now,” Stiles chuckled, “She was hoping to be married and done with college before the kids came along.”

“Yeah...no, I’ve never seen it work like that.” Derek shook his head and managed to get his car keys out of his pocket so he could get the hatch open and stow all the stuff. “Zippy, you might want to put Squiggles in the carrier for the drive, he can get scared and scratch you if you hold him in your arms when the car starts.” 

"Okay Daddy," she wiggled down from Stiles' arms and carefully put her kitten in the carrier. Then she turned to hugs Stiles, "I bet your friend is gonna be a great Daddy. You wouldn't be friends with someone who'd be a bad Daddy."

Stiles grinned, “I’ll introduce you when he comes up for winter break. You can give him a pep talk just like that. Knock a little of the scary away from him.”

“Or scare him worse.” Derek grinned teasingly and pulled on Zippy’s hair. “Nah, after meeting you, he’ll want be a daddy right away, maybe even your daddy and then I will have to fight him.” He flexed his muscles to make her giggle. “We’re gonna drive home and I’m guessing you want to take your car but just come on inside when you get home, I’ll get dinner ready.”

“See you there. And you,” he tweaked Ziva’s nose, “I’ll see you too. Don’t throw carrots at your Dad.”

She laughed and scrambled into the SUV, “I never throw food at Daddy. Unless it’s campfire night and we’re roasting mallows.”

“She waits until they are half melted and gooey. They are a real treat to get out of the hair.” Derek winked and made sure Ziva made it into the car with the carrier safely. “See you at home.” 

Stiles gave him a little salute and trotted off to his own car.


	5. Chapter 5

Laura caught her niece as she ran and jumped into her arms, all energy in anticipation for the full moon, “There’s my pup,” she growled and scattered kisses over Ziva’s face, “Where’s the kitty?”

“Mr. Stiles is watching him for us!” Ziva proclaimed, “We told him it was cause we didn’t want to upset him with another car ride so soon or have him out here til he’s got all his shots and stuff.”

“I think Stiles was only too happy to care for Squiggles, both him and his father.” By the way the Sheriff had cooed over the kitten, Derek was half worried they would face a catnapping when they got home. He waited until Ziva and Laura had hugged it out before walking over to hug his sister too. “Hi there big sis, everything okay?”

She gave him a bear hug, “Mmmm yeah. Everything alright with you? No more Argent encounters? Or suspicious vehicles parked across the street?”

“Sheriff chased a black car off the day after I got Squiggles,” Ziva announced, “the I saw Mr. Stiles talking on his phone through the window, he looked _really_ angry.”

Derek nodded, he knew he would not have been able to keep the car a secret from his sister even though he kind of wished that he could. “He really did look pissed and there have been no more strange cars after that. Plus we have like hourly police patrols on our street all of a sudden.” 

“Imagine that.” Peter gave Laura a pointed look. “It is a good thing you have such caring and protective neighbors.” 

Laura leveled a look of death and retribution on her uncle.

“Mr. Stiles is the best neighbor ever! He gave me something for you Auntie Laura,” she handed her aunt the paper bag.

Laura took it warily and opened it, taking out a coin purse shaped like a...cupcake. She stared at it for a minute before barking out a laugh, “That little snot,” she shook in amusement, “Oh God I think I like him.”

Peter threw his head back and cackled and Derek had to smile as well, that dangerous warmth creeping into his stomach again, curling there like sunlight from the inside. "Um..I'm just gonna take the bags inside."

Laura’s gaze went sharp on her brother and her pupils contracted as he moved out of earshot, “Oh,” it was a soft, breathy exhale. Her brother was falling in love with the little shit. This could be a problem. She hoped it wouldn’t be but it _could_ be.

Peter looked knowing but he didn't say anything. He wouldn't interfere unless it seemed necessary. Instead he walked over and leaned down so he could pick Zippy up and swing her upside down from her ankles. "Are you ready to sprout muttonchops and howl at the moon?"

“Yeah!” Ziva giggled, “Guess what? Mr. Stiles is gonna be an uncle. His bestest friend is gonna be a daddy and Mr. Stiles says they’re practically brothers so he’ll be an uncle like you Uncle Peter.”

Laura’s brows went up. That was a complication if Stiles’ friend was really a werewolf, one that they’d need help with because carrying a werewolf’s baby got messier than even normal gestation. Why the hell wasn’t Deaton in town anymore? She needed an emissary to help deal with this shit. She didn’t say any of that instead focusing on keeping Ziva happy, “Like Peter? I hope not. Peter’s laaaaazy.”

“Nuh-uh! Uncle Peter’s the bestest best uncle ever!”

"That's right Laura, listen to our moon goddess here, I am the best uncle ever. Listen and learn." Peter grinned but he couldn't help but think about what Ziva had said. He hoped Gerard Argent's head would explode, finding out yet another of the ‘noble’ Argent blood would birth a werewolf.

Laura just stuck her tongue out at him and reclaimed her niece, bribing her with chocolate to stay with her.

\----------------------------------------

Stiles was half under the sink and wiggling his butt back and forth trying to fix a leak when he heard the kitchen door open, “Hey did you get the thread tape?” He was answered by silence then a giggle. His Dad definitely did not giggle.

“We can see the top of your hiney Mr. Stiles,” Ziva’s cheerful voice informed him.

He dropped his head down onto a pipe in mortification.

They could definitely see the top of Stiles' hiney and what a hiney it was, all perky and round and toned and....jesus, Derek couldn't go there, especially not with his baby girl right next to him. "Sorry, no thread tape." Even Derek could hear how gravelly his voice came out and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

Stiles scooted back out from under the sink, hiking his pants back up as he stood, “Sorry. No one needs to see my pale full moon.”

Ziva giggled, “We only saw a little so it’s more like the quarter moon!”

Stiles _knew_ his cheeks were turning a light pink and he coughed, “How about some hot cocoa while you tell me how the first day at school went?”

“Yes! Please,” she remembered her manners now and scrambled to sit at the kitchen table, “It was great! Ms. Reyes had us tossing grapes for times tables and acting out the Delaware crossing! And we drew pictures,” she pulled one out of her backpack with a drawing of an eight year old’s artistic vision of Stiles in his garden.

“Aww, thank you!” He kissed the top of her head and took the drawing, tilting his head this way and that, “I love the colors and the morning glorys. This is fridge art, absolutely,” he went to the refrigerator and grabbed some magnets to place at the corners to stick it on, “It is level?” 

"Perfect." Derek didn't know if he was talking about the picture or the man next to it. Could Stiles be more perfect? He was sexy and sweet and funny and he genuinely cared about Ziva. Derek was falling hard and fast and he had no idea what to do about it.

“So,” Stiles moved to make the cocoa, “Did the cupcakes work?” He asked Derek with a wicked glint in his eyes, “Or did Erica go all Catwoman on you?”

"I'm not actually sure." Derek scratched at his scruff. "She smiled like a crocodile, complimented the cupcake, threatened me with very sharp, very red nails, slapped my ass and called me muffin." Erica Reyes was the most confusing person he had met, she did not fit the mold for an elementary teacher but Ziva already loved her.

“She likes you. I’ll probably be getting a phone call about the hot Dad later tonight,” Stiles chuckled as he whisked milk and chocolate chips together in the saucepan, “She’s fierce but really is an excellent teacher.”

“She’s really pretty and I think Mr. Boyd likes her,” Ziva proclaimed.

"What makes you think that?" Derek asked as he sat down next to his daughter at the table. He didn't really care about Ziva's teacher's love lives but anything was better than the thoughts of wanting to press Stiles against the stove and suck bruises onto that long neck.

“He looks at her like Grampa James looks at Grammy Talia in the pictures Uncle Peter shows me.” She played with the pumpkin shaped salt shaker and tapped the side of her nose, “and he blushes whenever she smiles at him.”

Stiles grinned and set two mugs of cocoa in front of Derek and Ziva, “You’ve got good eyes. Boyd is absolutely in love with Miss Reyes, has been since junior year. She hasn’t picked up on it yet I don’t think.”

Derek choked down the familiar pang of grief and pain at the mentioning of his parents. He was glad that Ziva at least could see some pictures of them, the few that were left. "Perhaps she isn't ready to pick up on it yet, we often miss things with the ones who are closest to us."

“Probably,” Stiles ghosted his hand over Derek’s shoulders in comfort before sitting back down, “She’s focused on her career right now most of all. That and milking being a bombshell for all its worth.” His tone was fond. 

Derek got the feeling that Erica Reyes hadn’t always been a bombshell and with this Mr. Boyd being there to help her if she had a seizure, Derek could paint a bigger picture. As long as she was a good teacher and kind to Zippy, that was all that mattered to Derek. “Have the two of you been friends long?”

“Not really. For the longest time I hung around with just Scott. I was the weird motormouth ADHD kid that no one wanted to be around when I was younger, except Scott who was similarly challenged on the social ladder. We formed a Batman and Robin duo against the world and no one else got into the bubble for a long time.”

Ziva wiggled in her seat, “So how’d you and Miss Reyes become friends?”

“Scott caught her when she fell having a seizure when trying to climb the rock wall and I broke a little jerk’s phone when he recorded it for _entertainment_ ,” even now it pissed him off. Erica could have died, and that little bastard would have put it on YouTube. 

“Good.” Derek couldn’t help it, making fun of other people when they were hurting. If he had been there he would have most likely broken the kid who had been recording than his phone. “I’m glad you broke the phone.” He noticed his daughter’s wide eyed look. “It’s never acceptable to make fun of people’s problems.”

“I know Daddy,” she smiled, “You’d have broken the meanie’s face if you’d been there.”

Stiles rolled his lips together in amusement, “I would have but Boyd beat me to it. After that Erica started sitting with me and Scott and we got to know just how much of a spitfire was hiding there and Boyd followed. In under a year they went from people I maybe noticed in the hall to _family_. Now I don’t know how I got by without them.”

Sounded like pack to Derek’s ears and he knew full well how difficult it was to survive without your pack. “Friendship like that is precious.” He nodded and despaired that he sounded like some sort of lame Hallmark greeting. He sucked at conversations. 

“Who else is your family Mr. Stiles?”

Stiles grinned, “Well I already told you about Lydia, there’s her fiance, who I am _still_ trying to figure out how the heck he became family. He’s like the weird cousin you like to stuff worms in between his sheets I guess. Jackson used to be...well he used to be a humongous pain in my neck. Then there’s his best friend Danny, who is liked by _everyone_. There isn’t a single person who doesn’t like Danny and he’s the only one Jackson was ever nice to for a long, long time.” Stiles’ mouth took on a soft, proud smile, “And then,” he pulled a picture out of his wallet, “There’s Isaac. He’s studying to be a pediatrician. Got a full ride scholarship to Harvard and is maintaining a four point oh average. He is the cutest adult person ever.”

Ziva giggled, “He looks like a puppy!”

Derek peered at the picture and the boy really did look like a puppy, the kind who would stumble over his own overly large paws. “Harvard’s a long way off.” It had to be difficult, having your friends scattered across the country. He had heard something about MIT and Lydia too earlier. 

“Yeah but there’s skype and unlimited long distance calling and everyone comes home for breaks.” Stiles ran a finger along the edge of the picture. It was rough, being one of the only ones here. Having Erica and Boyd helped a lot but it hurt sometimes, being so far from his pack.

“School doesn’t last forever either.” Derek could have kicked himself because now Stiles looked sad and he hadn’t meant to upset the other man. “Family always find their way back to each other.” He gave Stiles a hesitant smile. “You must have graduated very early.”

“College? Oh yeah. I blazed through. I just didn’t do well with trying to lounge around and do nothing when I didn’t have classes so I stacked as many classes up as I possibly could. My roommate liked to claim I was an android because I couldn’t possibly be human and not lose my mind,” Stiles’ smile was reassuring, let Derek know that it was okay.

“Was your Daddy sad while you were in school?” Ziva asked with big green eyes round in curiosity.

“You know, I don’t know. But I bet you could ask him.” Stiles turned his head and grinned at the kitchen door, “Quit eavesdropping and you’d better not have stopped at one of the greasy spoons.”

“Not eavesdropping, just taking the boots off.” John replied easily and came inside, wiggling his sock clad feet as proof. “And I wouldn’t dare to stop at any of those places, not after you have managed to scare the cr- stuffing out of all the owners.” He tossed the tape at his son. “And hello there, been a long, long time since we had a princess seated at this kitchen table.” John smiled at Ziva and nodded at Derek.

“Hi Mr. Stiles’ Daddy,” Ziva waved. She was surprised she hadn’t heard him but it was probably cause she’d been paying attention to Mr. Stiles, “Were you sad when Mr. Stiles was at school?”

“I was a little sad because it was very lonely here without him.” John nodded and gave the hot cocoa a longing look. “Mostly though, I was just very proud, still am.” 

Derek could tell that the man spoke the truth and he knew that Ziva would be able to tell that too. 

Stiles just beamed, a little pink around the neck and cheeks, “There’s still some on the stove Dad. Chocolate in moderation is good for you.”

“Everything is bad for you if you have it in excess.” John bounded over to the stove and poured himself a mug of chocolate, sighing in satisfaction at the first sip. “Magic in the kitchen.” He smiled at his son. 

Derek tried to fit together this smiling man with the Sheriff who had led the investigation after the fire. He respected the Sheriff but he thought this was someone he might grow to like.

“How’s the kittycat?” John sat down next to Ziva.

“Great! He loves all his toys but plays with my hair and Daddy’s towel when he comes out of the bathroom most. And he eats carrots if we don’t watch him. He’s got a kitty bed but likes to sleep on my butt more.”

Stiles made a choked laugh that was quickly stifled.

Derek’s ears turned a little red at the mentioning of the towel thing, he couldn’t even count how many times he had ended up naked because a flying kitty had come out of nowhere and pulled his towel off.

“And Daddy says we can teach him how to pee and poop in the toilet instead of a litter box cause the litter box _stinks_ something awful even with lotsa baking soda and scooping each day.” Ziva’s cute little nose wrinkled in distaste for the smell.

“It is possible to teach anyone how to pee and poop in the toilet, though I despaired of Stiles for a while when he was itty bitty.” John nodded seriously. “He used to be afraid of the toilet, he ran outside and did his business in the flowerbeds instead.” 

Stiles’ face was burning and he knew he probably resembled a tomato, “....I do not remember that so it is unfair to bring it up. I can’t defend my reasons because I don’t remember my reasons.”

“Maybe you thought you’d fall in? Auntie Laura worries that Daddy’ll fall in sometimes when he’s in the bathroom for a long, long time.”

Now it was Derek’s turn to turn bright, lobster red. 

John rolled his lips trying not to burst out laughing. “Sometimes you can wonder.” He agreed, eyes glittering with amusement. 

Stiles met Derek’s eyes, “This is an unholy alliance that will bring us nothing but embarrassment.”

“I have a horrible feeling that you’re right about that.” Derek nodded. “Out of the mouth of fathers and daughters…” And Laura, frikkin’ Laura and her talk that Ziva loved to parrot. Older sisters were the worst. 

“I’d suggest we flee but then they could compare note more easily,” Stiles drawled while Ziva laughed at him, “So, Dad,” he got his father’s knowing attention, “Look at the artwork Ziva made, in the place of honor of course.”

“Well look at that.” John admired the painting on the fridge. “That is beautiful, I hope that you really are gardening son, and that you haven’t reverted to old habits.” He grinned and winked at Ziva. 

She almost fell out of her chair with her giggles, would have if Stiles’ hand hadn’t shot out quick as lightning to catch her when she slipped off the edge.

“You’re a regular comedian Dad. Have you considered taking your routine on the road,” it was dry as the desert.

“I have thought about it but since you are my source material, leaving would mean that I would have nothing to joke about, see my troubles here?” John just grinned, pleased as punch that he had gotten Ziva to laugh like that. 

“See this Zippy? This is what you have to look forward to when you bring friends over.” Derek nodded.

“Cept Auntie Laura promised to tell my friends’ mommies and daddies about your bunny rabbit,” Ziva’s grin as she let Stiles help her back onto her seat was nothing short of evil for a child.

“Bunny rabbit?” Stiles asked with a wicked, curious gleam in his eye.

“First and only rule of a happy Hale household...we do not talk about the bunny rabbit.” Derek’s voice was deadpan.

“Did you just quote Fight Club?” John’s eyebrows crept upwards.

“I might have.” Derek sniffed and leveled the _look_ at his daughter.

She just giggled and moved to sit on his lap, giving him a kiss on the cheek, “I love you Daddy.”

“I love you too Zippy.” Derek wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, on the French plait he had painstakingly braided her hair into this morning. 

And if Stiles melted like the marshmallows in his cocoa, well no one had to know it but him.

\---------------------------------------------

Laura sat next to Derek on the window seat, watching Peter and Ziva play in the first snowfall of the season through the glass, “I found something out yesterday.”

“Did you? A good something or a bad something.” Most of Derek’s attention was on his daughter, chasing snowflakes and trying to gather enough snow to make a snowball and pelt Peter with it.

“I’m not sure. Both maybe? I’ve been trying to find out what happened to Alan Deaton. He was supposed to have moved back here five years ago, to keep things clear for when we returned. Yesterday I learned he did come back, six years ago in fact, but he disappeared a year after that. Right around the time Gerard Argent’s dismembered body was found literally nailed to several trees.”

“I would like to drop to my knees and literally kiss the feet of the one who got rid of that bastard.” Derek did not feel anything but happiness that Gerard Argent was dead, that meant there was one less threat out there for his daughter. “So Deaton just disappeared, without a trace?” That was not a good thing, not good at all. “Didn’t he have a sister?”

“Yes but she’s dead. Car accident. At least that was the official report but the officer who found her and the car commented that it looked less like she’d hit a deer than one had charged at the windshield on the driver’s side,” Laura’s brows were knit, “I don’t like it Derek. If Alan was alive he’d have taken his nephew with him but that little boy is living with an adoptive family in town instead.”

“Looks like we have some digging to do.” Derek nodded, he did not like loose ends and Deaton disappearing was definitely a loose end. “We should have Peter look into it, no one can dig up information like him.” 

She nodded, “But...another thing that bothers me. Alan was employing a young high school student to help around his clinic before he disappeared.”

“Yeah? Why does that bother you? Isn’t that quite normal, to have someone employed to help out?” Derek gave his sister a curious look.

“It bothers me because that student was Scott McCall,” she rested her cheek on Derek’s shoulder, “It bothers me because I like Stiles a lot and Ziva _adores_ him. He and Peter have this strange friendship going, and then there’s how you feel about him.”

Derek’s look turned warning because he wasn’t sure how he felt about Stiles himself and he wasn’t ready to talk about it. “I see.” That could be a complication, Laura was right about that. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. I could ask Stiles...how Scott saw Deaton and such things.”

“Do that. I don’t know what’s going on, what happened while we were gone but the land doesn’t feel dirty. It feels clean, the way it should. _Someone_ is performing druid duties for Beacon Hills.”

“And performing them well too.” Derek agreed with a slow nod. Laura was the alpha and she could feel these things the best but Derek felt it too, the land was clean and happy, if land could even be that. “I will ask him, I can say that Deaton was an old friend of our mother and we just wondered what happened to him.”

She nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist, “Putting your feelings for him that you are not thinking about aside, do you ever sense something a little...not human about Stiles?”

Derek frowned. “What do you mean?” Stiles was human, Derek was sure about that. Human and warm and wonderful. “I...He...he feels right. Like family.” Derek couldn’t explain it better than that.

“ _That_ is what I mean. I know healthy packs have humans but he feels _wolf_. He’s human but he feels like a wolf, Peter noticed it too.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, “It’s strange and I’m hoping, I am hoping to God that it’s a good thing.”

“It is...it must be.” Derek couldn’t imagine anything being bad about Stiles. He knew he probably had a warped view because his feelings for the other man but still. Stiles did not come off bad or dangerous, not to them. It didn’t stop him from beginning to worry though. He’d been wrong about Kate, his track record was not the best when it came to the people he fell for.

Laura squeezed him, “Talk to him about Alan after the full moon. Maybe you can pull him out to help you finish your Christmas shopping, avoid the last minute rush you always get caught in.”

Derek made a miserable sound. “Can’t I just buy you all gift certificates?” Christmas shopping was something invented by satan, a taste of hell before you actually got there.

“ _No_.” She nipped his jaw, “You’re getting real presents for us you lazy wolf. Come on. I demand a snow war.” She pulled him off the window seat and outside to take their minds off the seriousness that had poked its nose in.


	6. Chapter 6

Two days after the full moon and Ziva woke up, jerking upright when a veritable war cry was bellowed from next door. She ran to her window and saw Mr. Stiles tackling someone to the ground and wrestling with them while a pretty lady and the Sheriff watched. She blinked as the other man rolled belly up and bared his throat and Mr. Stiles leaned down like Auntie Laura did with Daddy to nuzzle it before pulling the both of them upright, arms wrapped around their shoulders as the pretty lady joined in the hug.

Scott was bouncing in place, hugging Stiles tightly before pulling on Stiles’ hand placing it on Allison’s belly. 

John just shook his head and hugged both Scott and Allison again. It was nice to have them home. 

Derek had heard the commotion too and was looking through their living room window. This had to be Scott and Allison...he recognized those dimples from his own daughter’s face.

Stiles rolled his eyes at Scott’s silliness but, after a permission nod from Allison, he let his hand rest easily on the slight swelling of her belly, his chest wolf puffing up happily. Then he pulled her in and kissed her temple, “Congratulations Ally. How do you feel?”

“Weepy one minute, murderous the next. And don’t get me started on my new morning ritual,” she hugged him tight, “We’ve missed you so much. How have you been, and when can we meet the new neighbor you’re always talking about?”

“I’ve missed you guys too, I have no words for it. Good. And I’d be willing to bet soon since we probably just woke them up.”

John looked toward the Hale house and chuckled. “I would say that is the case yeah.” He nodded toward the blonde girl with her nose pressed against the glass of her window. 

Scott looked over and stiffened. The little girl reminded him of Allison like crazy, also there was something nigging at him.

“You’re bringing Melissa and coming for dinner tonight right?” John asked.

“Of course.” Scott nodded distractedly.

“Like I’d let him get away with missing dinner after months of being apart,” Stiles said even as he lifted a hand and waved to Ziva, “I’d shoot his butt with a tranq and drag him here if I had to.”

“Please don’t. He gets jumpy for weeks after sedation and I like getting my hands on my man’s butt,” Allison drawled.

“So I can see.” John looked at Allison’s barely there baby bump pointedly with a grin. He waved at Ziva too before turning to walk back inside, it was too cold to be standing around outside. 

Scott wrapped his arms around Stiles from behind, just nuzzling his alpha happily, making sure their scents mingled just like they should.

Stiles let Scott cling but, “Snuggle and walk buddy,” he didn’t want Allison to be out in the cold very long. He moved into the house with them, heading for the kitchen.

“Oh these are adorable!” Allison went right to the fridge with its drawings depicting several outings with Stiles, Derek, and Ziva. She giggled at one, “She draws her Dad furrier than Scott on the full.”

Stiles snickered, “The man has godlike stubble I tell you.”

Allison plucked one drawing off the fridge and brought it over to show Scott, “Is that Stiles in a princess dress?”

Scott’s wide grin froze as he took the painting, his nose scrunching up. “This reeks of wolf.” He turned his nose up and sniffed the air. “In fact this whole place smells like wolf...and cat.” He looked over at Stiles. “Why does your house smell of werewolf?”

Blocks were tumbling together in Stiles’ head but he didn’t say it yet, instead he narrowed his eyes, “I’m guessing you mean werewolves other than you or Jackson. And that’s an interesting question,” he said softly, taking the picture.

The Argents were hunters, Kate Argent had burned Derek’s family alive. Derek and Ziva spent every full moon with Laura and Peter, he just hadn’t noticed that before because he’d always been busy keeping his own wolves calm over the phone, talking them through the night. The occasional little slips Ziva made about smelling things, the times they’d hear something Stiles had never been able to make out, the time Derek refused to let him treat the burn on his hand from an accidentally turned on stove top burner. It was all adding up.

“Hmm.”

“Hmmm, what hmm?” Scott looked close to pouting. “I can’t believe you’re cheating on us with other wolves.” 

John rolled his eyes because really, sometimes Scott was over the top. “Don’t worry Scotty, you will always be his first. Take joy in that.”

“That sounded wrong in so many ways,” Stiles said, “and I was not aware that Ziva and Derek were of the lunar shifting persuasion. Still don’t know for sure that they are. _But_ if they are....”

“They have prior claim,” Allison said, “I followed my nutbar aunt’s imprisonment. Dad wouldn’t tell me anything about the why but if Derek Hale and his daughter are werewolves, most of their family would have been too. Born wolves, like Jackson.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded and squeezed Scott’s arm, “Stay here Scott.” He headed for the door.

“Why?” Scott whined but he stayed where he was. Stiles was his alpha and one did not disobey one's alpha. Plus Scott was used to following Stiles’ lead, he had done it for most of his life. He walked over to hug Allison, needing his mate close in all of this confusion.

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his jaw and offering comfort.

“Because I’m going to go ask Derek about this. It’s easier than slipping around trying to figure things out secretively. Don’t worry, you’ll know if I need back up,” he slipped out the door and headed over next door, knocking lightly.

“I’ll get it, you get dressed for breakfast.” Derek called to his daughter before walking over to the door. He could smell that it was Stiles but he had no idea why he was over when he had just gotten visitors. Perhaps the Stilinski household was out of something. “What can I do for you Stiles?” He opened the door.

Stiles slipped in past Derek in a sneaky little move and just came right out with, “Are you a werewolf?”

Derek’s jaw dropped and he stood with the door still open, staring at the little sneak who had gotten past him. “Well...yes.” There didn’t seem much point in lying and Derek didn’t really want to lie to Stiles either.

Stiles cocked a brow, “Would you shut the door? I don’t have wolfy self furnace abilities and that wind is cold.”

“Oh excuse me for letting you get cold after you dropped a ton of bricks on me.” Derek made an exaggerated bow as he closed the door. He got snarky when he’d suffered a shock. 

“You’re forgiven. I understand it can be shocking when people don’t beat around your bush,” Stiles fired back, a half smile tugging at his mouth. He loved it when Derek got sassy.

“I don’t even have a bush to get beaten.” Derek muttered but stalked toward the kitchen, confident that Stiles would follow. “Is your friend a werewolf?”

“Yup, got bitten by a really big ugly bastard sophomore year,” Stiles did indeed follow, enjoying the view the whole way. “Not a fun time.”

“No, I can’t imagine that it would be.” Derek poured himself a cup of coffee and held the pot up in an offer to Stiles. “Peter senses a wolf in you, an alpha even.” 

Stiles nodded at the offer then let his eyes bleed into the red that came with his chest wolf, “Peter senses correctly. I had to kill Big Ugly Bastard to keep Scott safe and the alpha mojo just decided to settle into me,” he blinked and the red was gone, “I’m human but,” he flicked his hand in wordless explanation.

“That is supposed to be impossible.” Derek was intrigued. He poured coffee for Stiles as well and carried it to the table. “But if anyone conquers the impossible, I should have known it would be you.” He sat down, eyes still on Stiles. “Please, tell me everything.” 

“Oh my God there is so much,” he sank into the seat, “and usually cursing is involved but I’ll try to keep it clean. There were some ‘animal attacks’ happening with increasing frequency in the preserve a couple months into sophomore year when I heard about a body lost in the woods over the police scanner and being a curious little sh- er snot I grabbed my best friend and dragged him with me to try and find it.” He gave a self deprecating snort, “We got separated and Scott was bitten. I figured out he’d been bitten by a werewolf when he started hearing and smelling a lot more than anyone else could, and acting a little weird.”

Derek listened carefully, he could only imagine how rough that must have been, for Scott but for Stiles too. “You are smart, not everyone would jump directly to werewolves.” He saw Ziva peek in through the doorway and motioned for her to come inside. She would hear everything they said anyway so it was just as good that she joined them. 

Ziva scampered in and perched on her Daddy’s lap, excited that Stiles knew about werewolves so they didn’t have to hide from him anymore. “What happened then?”

“Well, because he can be a bonehead, Scott didn’t believe me until he lost his temper and tried to eat my face,” he snorted in vague amusement, “Which was prevented by one Isaac Lahey and his lacrosse stick of doom. Didn’t do much except break actually and snap Scott back to his senses. Then I had a vaguely freaked out human puppy and a guilt stricken werewolf to soothe. It was a fun day.

“I am no where near an expert on werewolves or much about them. Most of what I and the rest of us know was learned through trial and error. Like wolfsbane, that was a fun lesson. Involved Allison’s mother and grandfather among other elements. Scott and I figured that maybe if he killed the wolf that bit him before his first full moon he might revert back to human but well,” he grimaced and reached up to rub his shoulder, “Didn’t really go according to plan. Scott got impaled and I was thrown through a window before I managed to remove supercreep’s head.”

Derek rubbed Ziva’s back soothingly as the girl’s eyes looked ready to pop out of her skull as she listened to Stiles. “You seem to have managed well. I believe you are a good alpha. I remember thinking that your friends and you sounded like a pack when you told us about them. Seems like I was right.” Derek smiled at Stiles, not wanting to think of how close he had come not to have gotten to know Stiles at all. It sounded like their battle with the rogue alpha sounded more like a stroke of luck than anything else. “If there anything we can help with, just ask. And I am sure Laura would be happy to talk to you about alpha business. She’s our alpha, inherited it after...my mother.”

Stiles reached over and squeezed Derek’s wrist, “You can bet I will be annoying her as soon as can. And probably you too, about general wolfy things. We’ve done okay but nothing beats actual knowledge. Jackson’s a werewolf too, we’re not really sure _how_ because that was a whole can of messed up tangled in a web of Holy God why us.”

Derek snickered, Stiles' hand warm and safe on his skin. It wasn't that Stiles was an alpha, it was Stiles himself that made Derek feel that way. "The offer stands, anything we can do to help. Isn't that right Zippy?" 

“Of course! Specially now cause Mr. Scott’s mate is going to have a baby.” She beamed at Mr. Stiles, so happy to use a wolf term.

“Yeah, _that_ is a humongous thing me and my pack will be needing to know Princess,” he reached over and ruffled Ziva’s hair, “But I want to know other more innocuous things for myself too. Like the licking, is the licking a thing? Because I get licked upon private greetings, right on the chin.”

"It's definitely a thing. Wolves lick those who are above you in the pack so you getting licked is a sign of respect, of your alpha status." Derek smiled, it was adorable how happy and eager Ziva was to be allowed to use wolf terms and talk about them openly with someone other than her closest family.

“And you said hello to Mr. Scott the right way too!” Ziva said, “I saw through the window.”

Stiles smiled softly, “I researched actual wolf behavior, plus the volunteering at the reserve, I’ve just never been sure how much carries over to werewolves. It’s been trial and error mostly. How about you guys come over for dinner, call Laura and Peter and invite them too, and everyone can talk?”

Derek hesitated for a moment because despite everything, Allison Argent was still just that, an _Argent_. He didn't want to disappoint Stiles or a puppy eyed Ziva though so he nodded. "Sure, I'll call them. What time should we come over?"

“Probably around seven,” he gave Derek’s wrist another squeeze before moving his hand off regretfully, “I’d better go before Scott loses his mind and before my chest wolf jumps out of my throat,” he gave Ziva his customary nose tweak, “I’ll see you later princess.”

She just beamed, “Okay Mr. Stiles. Tell Mr. Scott he’d better be a good beta or I’ll sic my Daddy on him.”

Stiles laughed, “Yes ma’am but between you and me,” he stood up, “Your Uncle Peter would probably bother Scott more, he’s just got that vibe,” he winked and slipped out of the kitchen and house, going back to where he knew Scott was wearing a hole in the floorboards.

The minute Stiles was inside the door, he was wearing a Scott sized appendage. Scott rumbled unhappily and rubbed his chin against Stiles' shoulder. He was not happy about Stiles smelling of other wolves. He knew it was crazy but it made him scared that Stiles had replaced him while he was gone.

“You’re ridiculous,” Stiles said with deep, abiding affection knowing exactly where Scott’s head was at, “Like anyone could ever replace you in a thousand years.”

“So they are werewolves,” Allison said.

“Yup, born that way and thank you sweet baby Jesus they are a-okay with answering questions,” Stiles manhandled Scott to the living room so they could all pile on the couch, “The whole Hale pack are coming for dinner to meet you guys and so we can all talk.”

Scott continued to cling, logically he knew it was great that they had found some wolves who seemed friendly and was willing to answer questions but he still didn’t like it. The thought of strange werewolves around his pregnant mate was freaking him out slightly.

Allison pressed against Scott’s side, kissing his jaw, “I know Derek Hale might be a little wary of me but I’m looking forward to meeting my baby cousin.” That was true but she also was reminding Scott that the Hale would be risking a cub just as he would be risking her, despite not being pregnant enough to hinder her ability to take care of herself.

Stiles grinned, “She’s adorable, absolutely adorable. You will both fall head over heels.”

“You will love her.” John agreed, having gotten properly dressed for the day. “I’m going to head out and pick up more supplies since we will be four more for dinner.”

“Alright Dad, don’t sneak any cheats today.” Stiles waved his hand up from their cuddle puddle.

“With Scott the sniffing dog at home, ready to tell you all my dark, dirty secrets...I wouldn’t dare.” John grinned and waved at the pile of kids on the couch, to him they would always be kids, even though two of them were having a baby of their own. “See you soon, I have my phone if you should think of anything more you need.”

Scott shifted so he could cuddle Stiles and Allison equally. “I am sorry if I am being a grump...I am just scared it will end up like last time.”

A bitter taste actually rose in the back of Stiles’ throat. The last time they’d dealt with another pack he’d nearly been killed as well as gotten his heartbroken. “This isn’t like Ethan and the alphas. For one Derek isn’t an alpha, for another he’s got his cub. The Hales aren’t here for us, they’re here because this is their home. But yeah, I get where you’re coming from.”

Scott whined and pressed closer, he didn’t want to make Stiles sad, that was the last thing he wanted. He had just come so close to losing his brother the last time they had trusted strange wolves who had claimed that they wanted to teach them. “If you say so, you know I trust you. I trust you with my life.” Scott nuzzled even closer.

Stiles scratched at the spot behind Scott’s ear, knowing from experience that it pretty much turned his werewolves into goo, “I know. No worries buddy, I’m a lot more badass than I was at sixteen.”

Allison grinned, “I’m taking fifty percent credit.”

“Forty, my Dad taught me to shoot remember?”

“Point, okay forty. So....we’ve heard all about Ziva and Derek Hale, multiple times, tell us about the other two.” She leaned comfortably against Stiles as he began to talk and hoped she’d like the Hales. They could use a little back up.


	7. Chapter 7

Laura flicked a glance over at her uncle as she parked the Camaro, “I mean it Peter, if you embarrass me I will take you out back and put you down like Old Yeller. Also remember to be...you lite because McCall’s mate is knocked up.” She was worried and wanting to make a good impression because if McCall and his mate loathed them it might ruin any chance Derek could have at a happy relationship ever again. She _saw_ the looks between Stiles and her brother.

“Believe it or not but I actually do know how to behave in polite society.” Peter didn’t even roll his eyes. He was a teasing, creeping little shit but he knew how to act when they were invited by another pack. “I will be so shiny good that you won’t even know what hit you.” 

“Let’s not get crazy now. I don’t want McCall sniffing out insincerity either,” she closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. “I know. I know you know how to behave, you taught us after all. I’m just nervous Uncle Peter. This is more than another pack, the potential for Derek...I’m scared one of us, and yes I’m including me in that, is going to ruin it.”

“We can’t really do anything but be ourselves and hope for the best.” Peter reached out and took her hand, squeezing it for a moment. “We might be a small pack but you are an amazing alpha Laura. I’m proud to be in your pack. This will be fine, we’ll let Stiles set the tone and follow his lead.” 

She sighed out another breath, forcing out as much stress as she could with it, and nodded, “Okay. Let’s go,” she said as Derek and Ziva exited their house, Derek carrying a pan of what she’d bet were what Stiles had called his magical cupcakes. She got out, shutting the car door, and going to give them a hug at the bottom of the walk up to the Stilinski’s front door.

Derek shifted the pan to one hand and hugged his sister. “Calm down, things will be fine. It’s just a dinner.” He couldn’t really remember the last time he had seen Laura this nervous. 

Peter grinned and leaned down and placed a smooching kiss on Ziva’s cheek. “Ready to meet a new wolf munchkin?” 

“Yeah!” She hugged his neck before bouncing up the sidewalk, “Mr. Stiles talks about his friend all the time and I’ve been wanting to meet him. It’s even cooler now cause he’s a wolf,” she knocked on the door, raising and lowering on her tiptoes until it opened.

Stiles smiled at them, “Come on in, and don’t mind the-”

“Alexander Scott McCall I am going to dip an arrow in mistletoe and shove it up your ass if you don’t _stop it_!”

“-pregnant lady rage,” he finished in deep, deep amusement.

Peter’s grin threatened to split his face but he quickly schooled his features into calm politeness again. “Hello again Stiles and thank you so much for inviting us.”

“Here.” Derek pressed the pan into Stiles’ arms, looking a little sheepish. 

Stiles hollered back over his shoulder, “We have magical cupcakes! Scott this is a no bloodshed evening, quit hovering over your mate before she breaks that rule,” he grinned at Derek, moving aside and motioning them in, “Ally had a porcelain god moment earlier and Scott’s been...”

“Obsessively overprotective and tearing at his hair since,” Laura finished.

“Yup,” Stiles bent to kiss Ziva on the cheek, “Hey Princess, you look nice.”

“It the new dress Daddy got me from the fair!” She did a neat pirouette, “Isn’t it pretty!”

“As a picture, I love the leaves on the edges.” He straightened and eyed Peter, the polite, calm face, “Okay that’s disturbing. Very disturbing.”

“What is?” Allison came around the corner, still a little flushed from temper and dusting talc powder off her hands.

“The fact that Stiles has just realized he will never grow up to be as dashing and handsome as I am.” Peter’s smile brightened and he took Allison’s hand bowed low and brushed his lips over the back of it. “It is very nice to get to meet you, Stiles talks about you all alot.” 

Derek stood where he was a little awkwardly. Looking at the young woman who looked both like his daughter and his daughter’s mother. It was a surreal feeling. 

“Charming,” Allison said dryly, “and it’d work if Stiles hadn’t told us everything he knows about you and about every interaction you’ve had thus far. Unfortunately Stiles has spoken, at length, about you. I have to ask, why did you traumatize those poor sea monkeys?”

Laura barked out a laugh, “Oh I like you,” she offered her hand, “Laura Hale, alpha to these mangey mutts.”

Allison took it with a wide, dimpled smile, “Nice to meet you too. Though I can’t see how you can call such a precious little girl mangey.”

Ziva giggled as Allison crouched down to her level, “Cause Daddy’s one so I am too! You’re the lady who was shooting the conterrysaytives right?”

Allison gave Stiles an exasperated look before answering, “Yup. I was a little mad that they didn’t work even though I already love the baby baking in here,” she pat her stomach, “I got over it.”

She really did look like a Disney princess, Derek had to admit that. He still felt that nagging worry in his gut though. And he had to fight the urge to take his little girl and run before anything could happen to her.

Scott came up to them, looking over the other wolves closely, doing his best not to hover. “Should we take this inside instead of the hallway?” 

“I’m going to put these in the kitchen, I need to check the venison anyway,” Stiles lifted the pan and headed back to the kitchen.

Allison stood up and thumped Scott on the shoulder lightly before tucking into his side, “There’s some kid friendly punch in the living room so we can go there, because Stiles lets no one help in the kitchen.”

“Thanksgiving, Senior year, and that is all I have to say about that!” Stiles called out.

Laura poked Derek forward as Ziva tore into the living room to say hello to the Sheriff. She held her hand out to Scott McCall as the door closed behind them, “I hate to tell you, it’ll get worse and won’t ease off until the baby is probably a month old.”

Scott sighed and shook Laura’s hand. “I was afraid of that.” He gave her his usual, large, brown puppy eyes. Right now he couldn’t imagine his protectiveness ever easing up. There were so many dangers in the world and he wanted to protect both Allison and their unborn child from all of them.

“It never really eases up.” Derek added and shook Scott’s hand as well. He still wanted to wrap Ziva in cotton and protect her from everything. 

Laura snorted, “Oh yes it will. Remember I was there for your advent into this world baby brother mine. By the time you came out and for a month after Dad, human though he was, was growling at everyone but me and Mom. _Everyone_. Complete loss of control.”

“Something to look forward to,” Allison drawled as she moved to the living room, “Even the grandparents were kept away? Because I think Melissa might actually smack Scott with a newspaper if she can’t hold her grandbaby when the little booger’s born.”

“Yup but that might have also been because Mom was the alpha so double dose since the alpha wasn’t there to offer protective back up. Stiles, by the way,” Laura slowly started to grin, “Might actually be worse than your mate. It’s an alpha thing.”

“You should know.” Derek raised a brow. “You were a terror with Zippy, there were times I feared I would have to pry my daughter from you.”

Peter shook his head and followed Ziva to say hello to the Sheriff. 

Laura shook her head as her uncle got the greatest of all side eyes from Stiles’ father, “She’s my niece, probably the only baby I’ll ever get to spoil rotten considering the slim pickings out there in the world,” she wrinkled her nose.

“You’re twenty-seven, not exactly over the hill just yet.” Derek leaned in and kissed her cheek, waving hello at the Sheriff and the pretty dark haired lady who was there with him. He didn’t point out that he was twenty-five because he really couldn’t see himself having another child. Not when he was so scared of love and the only one he was even remotely interested in, didn’t have the equipment necessary for baby growth. 

"Find me someone with a mean edge and brains but otherwise sweet and nurturing and perfectly fine with taking the backseat to a woman and then we'll talk about my chances of finding someone," Laura poked him in the side.

Melissa ran her tongue around her teeth and exchanged a knowing look with Allison before introducing herself, "I'm Melissa, Scott's mother. And both the boys know better than to keep me from holding my first grandbaby."

"Sweet God do we," Stiles' voice floated from the kitchen.

Peter beamed. “A woman after my own taste, the world always need more strong women to keep the male population in line.” Melissa McCall was really pretty and if she’d been a man then Peter would have been all over that. 

Derek gave his uncle a look, he was still polite but there was no telling when he would return to his usual creeper self, it could happen at any point. 

John rose and helped Ziva pour a mug of punch, his heart had been captured completely by this little princess and he loved her like she was his own grandchild. 

Allison rested her cheek on Scott’s shoulder, “So Stiles has told us a lot about what he knows about all of you. Is there anything you’d like to know about us?”

Laura sat down after getting her own punch and nodded, “A lot actually. There’s a lot of...unknowns I’ve been trying to piece together since coming home. Knowing that Stiles is a human alpha answers a few of those but leaves others.”

Scott had his arm wrapped around Allison’s waist, holding her close to himself. “Ask away, if I can answer, I will.” Scott didn’t know very much though, he followed Stiles and listened to him. That was how he had survived. 

Derek sat down in a chair and prepared to listen, there were more questions than could be answered in one night but at least they could get some answers. 

“Do you know what happened to Alan Deaton?” Peter wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“Oh,” Allison’s eyes went wide, “oh my. Why...is that important?”

“He was the emissary of our mother, we technically inherited him.”

“Emissary?” Melissa asked.

“Human, they’re normally advisors to a pack’s alpha, tasked with protecting the pack and keeping the land a pack makes their territory...clean for lack of a better word,” she looked toward the kitchen at the snort that came from Stiles.

Melissa drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair, “Deaton’s dead. Technically he lost his way in the forest and fell into a rattlesnake nest.”

“Technically?” Derek could hear that that wasn’t the whole story, the snort from Stiles pretty much giving away that Deaton hadn’t done his job as he should have. “An emissary is very important to a pack, werewolves can’t handle magic, it’s because we’re sort of magic in ourselves and so it doesn’t work for us.”

Allison held Scott’s hand, “I’m a little fuzzy on the details, Stiles knows them better, but Deaton and his sister were poisoning the druid tree in the forest.”

Laura sucked in a sharp breath, “They were killing it?”

“Worse,” Stiles came in, wiping his hands on a dish towel and moving to sit on the arm of the couch, “They were twisting the magic, turning it negative. I don’t really know why, didn’t have time to ask really,” he glanced at Ziva briefly, there were some things a little girl didn’t need to know yet, wolf or not.

“Dark magic has great power.” Derek nodded, thankful that Stiles kept the horrid details from Ziva, there would be time for those at a later date. “We owe you though Stiles. That tree is on Hale land and it has been our responsibility for generations. We owe you for saving it and keeping the magic clean.” Derek bared his throat for the human alpha, noticing that Ziva and Peter did the same.

“That obvious that I’m the one working with the tree huh?” Stiles said softly, looking at Laura, and nearly falling off the couch when she bared her throat as well.

Allison rolled her eyes as he began babbling unintelligible syllables, “He’s honored, and flustered, and not at all used to people not his pack baring throat.”

Laura smiled, “Understandable. So how did Deaton come to-”

“Karma, when the tree was purified it triggered a halfway accidental magic that became a karmic spell. Magic took her own revenge,” Stiles was still red in the face.

“That explains the deer.”

Melissa laughed, “John’s deputy did not have a good day with that.” 

“I have never been so happy to be a Sheriff able to delegate my job as I was then.” John nodded, his fingers brushing Melissa’s gently. 

Peter chuckled. “Still, it must be very useful to have a Sheriff in the know about the supernatural ongoings.” 

“Now perhaps but when I first found out...I thought I was going to have a heart attack for real.” Especially when he had found out how extremely close he had been to losing his son forever. .

“Yeeeeeah not fun all around. But at least things turned out okay,” Stiles said, “What else?”

“Who and all is in your pack?” Laura tucked a hair back into place absently.

“Mmm well you met Erica and Boyd. Really we’re mostly human, only two wolves in the bunch. Scott,” he ruffled his best friend’s hair, “and Jackson.”

“And a banshee,” Allison chuckled.

“A...banshee?” Derek blinked. “That would be the illustrious Lydia right? Because the one at Harvard...Isaac was a puppy yes?” Even though they were mostly humans as Stiles said, it was still a much larger pack than their own foursome. 

“Jackson, born wolf yes?” Peter asked, looking around the room, some of his polite veneer slipping away to be replaced by actual interest. “Couldn’t he teach you the way of the wolf?”

Stiles shook his head, “Jackson...is complicated,” he flicked a snickering Scott’s ear, “His birth parents died in a car crash, before he was er...”

Allison took up that part of the story, knowing it always made Stiles uncomfortable, “Jackson’s birth mother was still pregnant in the crash that killed her, he survived for at least an hour in her womb after she died and was delivered via roadside C-section. His parents didn’t have any identification on them so no one knows who they were. Jackson was adopted by the Whittemores.”

“Very human, very rich,” Melissa explained, “and very...demanding.”

“And not aware there was anything less than human about the child they had adopted.” Derek could fill in the blanks. Not all werecubs presented at childhood, it could take up to puberty for them to present but they were still different, demanding, moody and well...wolfish. “Poor kid.” 

Stiles just hummed when Scott made a choked off snort, “Anyway in our sophomore year he sort of...turned into a giant lizard.” He saw Laura’s punch glass hit the floor and thanked god the rug was there to keep it from breaking and soak up the red liquid.

“No...really?” Peter leaned forward, his entire being practically vibrating with interest. “I have only heard stories about that happening, urban myths and legends. A Kanima, for real? Is he still one?” Peter’s fingers twitched, oh the studies he could perform on a creature like that. 

“Down Peter, your creepiness is showing.” Derek muttered and picked Ziva up and placed her in his lap. 

She wiggled and squirmed so she was comfortable, “And I think you’re making Mr. Stiles mad.”

Stiles _was_ glaring at Peter like he could laser through him, eyes red, “I like you Peter but though Jackson is a pain in my ass, he’s my packmate.” It was warning and expressing that he knew exactly what Peter was thinking.

Laura picked up her glass and plucked out a cranberry that had been in the punch and beaned Peter in between the eyes with it, “If looks could kill Uncle, you’d be splattered over the wall. Sorry Stiles. _Is_ he still...”

His eyes faded back to their honey shade, “No. I don’t know what, exactly, a Kanima is, except obviously a scaled tank, but Jackson is full out wolf now.”

“I wasn’t planning on experimenting on him.” Peter pouted, rubbing the spot where the cranberry had hit. “I was just thinking about all the things you could learn.”

“Drop it Peter, before I let Ziva have free range of your shoes.” Derek warned. 

Laura shook her head at her uncle, “A Kanima is an aspect of old vengeance, it’s often caused when a born or bitten wolf has deep emotional issues that twist the very fiber of their being. As rare as a Kanima is, one resolving their issues is even rarer.”

“You can thank Lydia for that,” Allison said, “and Danny too.”

“Emotional tethers, true love.” Derek’s voice was soft because after everything that had happened. He wasn’t entirely sure he believed in that any longer. It was nice to see that it still existed. At least for some people.

“It was incredible...though Stiles had to hit him with Betty to snap him out of all the murder grrr thoughts for it to work.” Scott who had been silent most of the conversation spoke up.

“You always sound so gleeful about that,” Allison said, “when at the time you were incredibly pissed off.” She reached back over her shoulder to stroke his cheek.

“I was just pissed off that he dented Betty.” Scott grinned. He tolerated Jackson now, they were pack brothers but he still hadn’t forgotten the incredible douche Jackson had been throughout their entire childhood and early teens. 

Stiles huffed in amusement, “But yeah, Scott and Jackson are our wolves, Lydia is the banshee. Then there’s Allison, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Danny,” he ticked off on his fingers, “my Dad and Melissa.”

“That’s a pretty good sized pack.” Derek sounded close to admiring. He couldn’t help it. Without knowing what they were doing, these people had managed to form a functioning pack, had battles and won them. It was impressive. 

“With Christmas coming, they should all trickle back into town so you will probably meet them before long.” John smiled.

Stiles considered Danny meeting Peter while Peter eyes Jackson up like a science experiment, “Oh you will. You absolutely will.”

Laura gave him an amused smile, “Which one of us was the snicker for?”

Stiles looked at Peter, “Him. Meeting Jackson, Lydia, and Danny.”

Allison giggled, “Oh I hope I’m there. I love seeing Lydia at her worst.”

Melissa shook her head, “Our pack may take a little too much delight in the more...sadistic moments certain members express.”

Laura smiled, “That’s a normal thing in a pack actually, pride in how fearsome the members are.”

“Oh yes, the badder the better.” Peter nodded in agreement. “Not evil, just fearsome and capable. It is a great thing. We have Zippy so we absolutely know what we’re talking about. Scariest wolf this side of the ocean.” He winked at his niece.

Scott gave Peter a look like he was afraid Peter would break out with rabies at any second.

“Daddy’s scarier!” Ziva blew him a raspberry, “He makes all the boogeymen go away with one growl.”

Stiles’ heart did that melting, flopping thing at the mental image of Derek growling to chase boogeymen out of his daughter’s room.

“No boogeymen can stand against a real growl, makes them run home to their boogeymamas.” Derek nodded and kissed the top of Ziva’s head. “Though I have to tell you that Ziva returns the favor, she chases all of my monsters away in turn.” 

Allison stole a glance at Stiles and squeezed Scott’s hand tightly at the look in his eyes as he was watching Derek and Ziva. Stiles hadn’t looked like that since Ethan.

Scott saw it too, oh boy did he see it and it worried the crap out of him. Stiles was wonderful but he didn’t have the best history in love. Derek looked nice but Ethan had looked nice too, seemed nice, right up until he had delivered Stiles to Deucalion to be killed.

Derek looked over at Allison. “May I ask a personal question? You don’t have to answer it if you don’t wish to. Do your parents know that you are pregnant?”

She pressed a shielding hand over her belly and shook her head, “No. I haven’t even spoken to my mother since graduation, by my choice. If she finds out,” she pressed into Scott.

Stiles reached over and laid his hand on her shoulder, “You know I won’t let Victoria do anything to hurt you or the baby Ally. No matter what I have to do.”

“Nor I.” Scott growled and plastered himself closer against his mate. “No one, no one ever is going to hurt you or our baby.” 

“What about your father?” Peter sounded way, _way_ too interested and Derek suddenly came to a horrifying revelation.

“Peter… _no_.” He groaned into Ziva’s hair.

“A _universe_ of no,” Laura said.

Stiles looked between them all and shuddered, “Oh ew.”

“What?” Ziva’s eyes were wide and curious, “What’s wrong with Uncle Peter asking about Ms. Allison’s daddy?”

“Remember how Uncle Peter told you he liked his steak aged?” Derek was still ewing inside. “Well apparently he likes them married too.” 

Scott made a hulking, gagging sound.

“Okay....I still don’t get why it bothers everyone so much.” Ziva shrugged.

Laura shook her head, “Moving on from the interest of my Uncle in your father, _have_ you told your father?”

“He’d tell Mother, so no. Otherwise yes, I would have told him. He’s not… _happy_ that Scott’s a werewolf but he’s accepted it and he loves me.”

Derek hummed, not knowing if he believed that but he couldn’t talk. He loved Ziva, would always love her, even if she one day came home with a hunter for a lover. The love for a child it overrode everything else and perhaps that was how it was for Chris Argent as well. 

Allison rubbed her baby bump, “I’m just planning on avoiding my parents while we’re here. Mother isn’t particularly keen on me visiting since she knows I won’t come without Scott.”

“You would be more than welcome to stay here but I think Melissa would honestly flay me alive if I kept her son and daughter in law from her.” John gave Melissa a teasing smile. He knew just how much she missed Scott while he was away studying. 

“Yes I would,” Melissa said, “So. Derek, what do you do?” She saw the looks Stiles was giving Derek and more the glances Derek gave Stiles, so of course she wanted to know what derek did for a living.

“I’m a carpenter, custom pieces. Mostly furniture.” Derek had gotten lucky, after getting his GED he had gotten an apprenticeship with a really talented carpenter in Brooklyn. “It’s good and I can work from home.” That way he could be there for Ziva when she got home from school and he could go get her if she should ever need it.

“Daddy makes the best stuff! He made my bed and my wardrobe,” Ziva chirped, “And he’s got a special stool for me in his workshop so I can watch him. I’m not allowed to get off it til he says it’s safe.”

“Is that so?” Melissa’s eyes were warm, “Well good. That’s what good Daddies do, make sure their kids are safe and sound.”

“I have seen that bed and wardrobe,” Stiles said, “Wolves and fairies all over them. You’re a pretty good artist Derek.”

Derek flushed and shook his head. "Nah, just good with my hands, that's all." He looked down at his large, wide palmed hands, glad that they were useful for something.

Laura gave Peter a warning look when Stiles blushed a little bit then blinked at Allison when the woman turned her face into her mate’s shoulder, giggling.

“You are not funny Ally,” Stiles said, then jumped up like he’d been goosed when the kitchen timer dinged. “Aaaaaand that’ll be the roast, Dad come and help me get everything to the table?”

“Sure thing son.” John rose and followed Stiles into the kitchen.

Peter was smirking at his nephew, he had kept his mouth shut to Stiles but Derek had to realize just what he had said. It was like a please let me put my hands on you ad. 

Scott was looking out the window, one hand brushing over Ally’s back in soft circles when he noticed the car outside, just parked there. “I think your Dad’s outside Allison, want me to go talk to him?” 

“He’s what?” She blinked in surprise and turned to look, recognizing her Dad’s ‘around town’ car. “I don’t know...I mean I don’t think he’d try to hurt you but at the same time...he might shoot you with regular bullets?”

“Sounds like a barrel of fun.” Scott wrinkled his nose. “But still someone should talk to stalker-man.” Scott wasn’t really surprised to see Chris’ car. Scott knew he kept tabs on Allison and of course he would at least want to see her when she was in town.

“I volunteer.” Peter raised his hand.

Laura snorted, “Of course you do. And would probably tick him off in the process. Who knows what he’s got in that-”

“ _Someone_ go before I do,” was Stiles’ offering from the bowels of the house.

“And no one wants that,” Melissa shuddered, remembering the last time Stiles had confronted a hunter. “If Laura is alright with it, why not have Peter out there _with_ my son,” she got up to nudge Scott out of his seat, wrapping an arm around Allison, knowing her son might not want Ally here among other wolves without someone as a buffer.

“That would work, Scott feel free to clock my uncle if you feel he’s getting close to making Chris Argent pull a weapon.” Laura said casually.

“If he sets Mr. Argent off, I might just shoot him myself.” Scott grumbled but rose, kissing Allison before raising an impatient brow at Peter. 

“Hold your horses puppylino, I’m coming.” Peter rose leisurely and stretched just because it annoyed Scott. He had just met the other wolf and he could already tell just how to push the man’s buttons. “Let’s go greet the lurker.” He grinned and sauntered out of the house, Scott on his heels. He crossed the street and knocked on the window of the dark car.


	8. Chapter 8

It took a solid minute before the window lowered and Chris Argent was frowning out at Peter, “I really should not be surprised and yet I am. Step back you mangey bastard. It’s not you I’m here to talk to.”

“Mangey? Oh your sight must be going, perils of growing old. Look at this,” He motioned toward his body. “This is ripped perfection.”

“Jesus Christ.” Scott groaned and rolled his eyes. “Please save that kind of talk for when I am back in Anaheim. Why are you sitting out here spying Mr. Argent?”

“I wanted to check on Allison, since I’ve been given to understand my daughter has gone to a doctor at least once a month over the last several,” it was a hard stare that ignored Peter, “Why is my daughter visiting the doctor so regularly Scott?”

“You mean you haven’t broken in and checked her journal yet?” Scott crossed his arms over his chest. He respected Chris and he could even understand him in some ways but he wasn’t fifteen any longer. He wouldn’t let the older man intimidate him in the same ways anymore. “Allison is fine.”

“Seeing a doctor so much after every full moon doesn’t say _fine_ to me,” Chris’ eyes narrowed, “I keep my watching to a minimum at Allison’s request but that can change. I have friends in Anaheim who’d be happy to help out.”

“I’m not abusing Ally during the full moon.” Scott’s temper rose because he could see where this was going. “You know what, I have friends too...I have an alpha in right there inside and I can guarantee he is happy to help as well. After all, he helped with your father didn’t he?” 

“Oh...Stiles did that? Good on him.” Peter grinned and cocked his hip. “So Christopher...have you tried talking to your daughter instead of being a major creeper?”

“Oddly enough yes,” it was pure sarcasm that could rival Stiles’, “and again oddly enough, whenever I push for more information on whether she’s alright she starts dodging my questions the exact same way she did six years ago, when she was dating a werewolf in secret. By all means McCall, get your alpha outhere for the discussion,” he smiled, not particularly nicely, “Talking to Mr. Stilinski is always such a joy.”

“Not a great idea.” Peter shook his head. “You see, my alpha is also in there along with Derek and my great niece. Laura doesn’t like you, Derek definitely doesn’t like you and Ziva doesn’t know what your family has done to ours, what her own mother tried to do to her.” Peter scratched his neck and caught Chris’ eyes. “You are not an idiot Chris, yet you disappoint me here. If you just think you might just figure out what’s wrong with Allison.”

“He’s a father,” Stiles’ voice came from behind them and he moved up between Peter and Scott, one hand on Scott’s shoulder, calming him down, “It often amounts to the same thing as an idiot when it comes to someone’s kid. Go home Chris. We’re having dinner here, Ally will call you tomorrow to talk, maybe even meet up, possibly even bring you something decent to eat. There are horror stories of your wife’s food gaining sentience after it’s cooked. You being here, like this, is just stressing her and my guests out, except for Peter here but I have come to accept he’s cracked.”

“Aw, thank you.” Peter fluttered his lashes as Stiles. “You are so sweet, makes me all aflutter.”

Scott snorted, Stiles touch helped to calm him down some, though he was still upset and angry that Chris would even think he would ever raise a hand against Allison. He lived for her and would never hurt her. 

Stiles ignored that and saw clear to the worry and upset behind Chris’ Papa Wolf facade, “Her avoiding the subject has nothing to do with you Chris, and everything, _everything_ to do with your wife. Just go home.”

Chris’ jaw ticked, hard, before he nodded shortly, rolled the window up, and drove off.

Stiles waited until the car was out of sight before his hands came up and whacked both Scott and Peter on the back of their heads, “That’s from Laura and Melissa. They both said, and I quote, ‘You know why.’”

“I have no idea why, I was on my best behavior.” Peter’s eyes were wide and innocent. “Congratulations though, on nailing wrinkly Argent to the wall...or several trees as the case might be. Derek said something about getting on his knees in front of the person responsible for that so you have that to look forward to.” Peter grinned and walked back inside.

Scott rubbed his head. He knew why he was getting a Gibbs slap. He just wished he could stop himself from letting Chris get under his skin. “Sorry.”

“Couple things to remember, you and Chris both love Allison to unreasonable degrees, that means both your heads will automatically go to the worst possible scenario,” he started pushing his best friend toward the house, “and will not get away from said scenarios until they’re proven completely false.”

“I know and I am glad that he loves her that much but still...gaaah.” Scott rubbed at his head. “We just bring out the worst in each other you know. Peter Hale’s creepy attempts at flirting didn’t help.” That wasn’t entirely true, Peter had defused the situation in his own weird way before Stiles came out but Scott was still traumatized. 

“There, there. Peter’s not so bad once you get passed the exterior that loves messing with people.” He pushed Scott in through the open door, “Venison roasts on the table. Hug your mate then let’s settle down for dinner.”

“Okay, the roast smells delicious by the way.” Scott paused enough so that he could hug Stiles too. “Thank you for coming out there.” He bounded off to hug Allison, perhaps kiss her too before settling down at the table.

Stiles just rolled his eyes in affection and headed to sit down himself, unconsciously watching Derek settle Ziva into a chair and feeling his heart turn over. Oh he had it _so_ bad it wasn’t even funny.

\--------------------------------------------

“Oh my God I’m still stuffed,” Laura said as she flopped back on the couch, “Sweet mercy Stiles knows how to cook deer. Sainthood, there should be a sainthood in his future. Stiles our Lord of the Venison.” She looked up as Derek came in, “Zippy down for the count?”

Derek nodded, amused at his sister’s sprawled out position, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had unbuttoned her pants. “I think she slipped into a food coma.” He walked over and sat down next to Laura. 

“Understandable. _So_ understandable. If it was legal I’d marry that food,” she wiggled and slumped against his arm, “So, that went really really good even with the small fly in the evening’s ointment don’t you think?”

“Yeah, it went well.” Derek wrapped his arm around Laura and let her snuggle up next to him. “Stiles has done an amazing job, learning everything on his own and still managed to turn all those different people into a pack.” Derek was awed by that, he really was, awed by Stiles and how nothing seemed impossible for Stiles.

“I want to meet this Erica soon. She sounds like my kind of people, plus she’s Zippy’s teacher, gotta inspect her,” Laura smiled, barely cocking a brow when Peter came in with beers for the three of them, “We need to organize a kid free meeting though, discuss exactly what the hell happened with them all. Also I really want to find out if they know who destroyed the great bastard.”

“Oooh I know that, Scotty let the cat out of the bag.” Peter twisted the cap off his beer. “It was Stiles! We owe our thanks to him for more than Deaton and taking care of the tree and Beacon Hills it seems.”

Derek nearly did a spit take. He should not find that knowledge as hot as he did. 

“Stiles did?” Laura’s brows lifted, “I mean he is a devious little shit, obviously, and I don’t doubt he could kill but...it takes some serious rage to dismember someone and nail their remains to trees. Rage, planning, and a very strong stomach. We definitely need to find out what happened.”

Derek nodded, there were so much that they needed to know. He didn’t regret leaving Beacon Hills but he did regret not keeping a closer tab on what went on in their old town. Especially since they still had responsibilities here.

“I can watch Zippy when you have the meeting.” Peter offered, he knew Derek would never trust his child with a stranger. “You two can fill me in afterwards.”

Laura hummed, “I should have kept a better eye to what was happening here,” it was quiet, an admission of bungled responsibility, “We needed to get away but I still should have checked in once in a while.”

“We all should have Laura, we dropped the ball.” Derek’s arm tightened around her. “We were just very lucky that Stiles was here to pick it up. We’ll do better from now on.” 

She shook her head, unable to explain. She was the alpha and with that came more responsibility, more accountability. “Starting with filling in the blanks. Because booooooy howdy are there a couple of those.”

“Oh yeah.” Peter agreed with that. The web of the story they had gotten had some great big holes in it. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be all that easy to get all those holes filled in as well. Stiles was strong and he had managed better than anyone could have expected but Peter still suspected that not everything had been easy for the kid. 

\------------------------------------------

A few days later Ziva woke up to more voices from next door and peeked out the window again to see a pretty redhead enveloping Mr. Stiles in a hug before a very pretty dark haired man did the same from the other side while a blond man watched them, rolling his eyes before someone made a war cry and tackled him to the ground. It took her a minute to recognize her teacher because she’s never seen Miss Reyes with her hair down before. 

She slipped silently out of her room, past the library where her Daddy was curled up asleep with Auntie Laura and Uncle Peter, and outside to watch the scene on Mr. Stiles’ front lawn.

Jackson blinked up at the winter sky as he tried to get air back into his lungs. “Ugh, get off Erica.” He pushed at the blonde on top of him. “This jacket costs more than your salary for a year.”

“Asshole.” Erica grinned down at him. “I don’t do it for the money, I mold minds...building myself an army of tomorrow’s leaders.” She let out an evil cackle and got off him to glomp Danny and Lydia.

Boyd came up to offer Jackson a hand, glancing over at Isaac, “You sure you want to be back here among the asylum?”

Isaac just smiled, waiting for his turn to get to hug Stiles properly. “Yeah, I am most definitely sure.” He loved school but he missed Beacon Hills and his friends so much that it was like a gaping hole inside him. He caught Erica and swung her around happily when she jumped on him. 

“Shoo!” Stiles flailed and wiggled out of the double hug, “shoo Erica! My puppy!” and then he had Isaac, the obscenely tall fucker, in a hard hug. He was always more protective and concerned about Isaac than the others, though Erica was a close second, because of Isaac’s past. “Have you been eating? No wait, _what_ have you been eating? You’re skinny!”

Lydia exchanged an amused look with Erica, “Yenta Stilinski.”

Ziva muffled her soft giggle behind a hand and ducked further behind her bush when the blond man Miss Reyes had tackled spun to look.

“There’s a strange looking midget living in the bushes.” Jackson drawled, he knew who it was. Lydia talked to Stiles almost every day and he’d heard all about the new neighbors from her.

Erica looked over. “That’s not a midget butt breath, that’s my prized minion. Hi Ziva!” Erica waved at her happily.

Isaac hugged Stiles for a little while longer. Stiles was security, family and home and Isaac had missed him most of all.

“Hi Miss Reyes!” Ziva popped out from behind the bush.

Stiles squeezed Isaac and turned just a little bit to look at Ziva, “Hey Princess. Does your Daddy know you’re out here?”

“He’s asleep with Auntie Laura and Uncle Peter in the library. Is this the rest of your pack?”

“Yup, but you shouldn’t leave the house without telling your Daddy Princess. He’ll go nuts if he wakes up and you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

Isaac melted when the girl drooped and curled in on herself at those words. “She hasn’t left her garden, it can’t be that bad.” 

“Oh, you haven’t met Derek Hottie Hale.” Erica quipped back.

“What do you mean?” Isaac tensed, afraid that this gorgeous little girl’s father was like his own.

“Overprotective to say the least.” She kept her voice to a whisper.

Stiles rubbed Isaac’s back, “Derek’s a gr-” and his brows lifted in amusement when he heard, from _inside_ the Hale house, Derek’s panicked yelp of Ziva’s name.

“Oops,” Ziva looked like a particularly sad puppy as her Daddy came running outside, a little wild eyed, and caught her up in a hug, “Sorry Daddy. I didn’t want to wake you up,” she pat his hair, “and I wanted to see the other people in Mr. Stiles’ pack.”

Derek hugged her close, breathing in her scent and willing his heart down from where it had been lodged in his throat when he had found Ziva’s bed empty and couldn’t hear her heart anywhere in the house. “Doesn’t matter, you must _always_ wake me up and tell me if you want to leave the house. I was really, really scared.” 

She sniffed, “I’m sorry Daddy! I didn’t mean to scare you!” She hugged him super hard around his neck, like she could chase the fear away with it, “I won’t do it again. I promise. Just like I don’t leave the garden anymore ‘less I get permission.”

Stiles looked over at Isaac and murmured softly, “See. He’s kind of all sorts of awesome at daddydom.”

“It looks like it yeah.” Isaac admitted and gave Stiles a curious look. “Oh...Oh I see. You totally agree with Erica’s hottie opinion.” He could practically see the hearts in Stiles’ eyes. “I really hope he deserves you.” 

Derek finally noticed they were being watched by several pairs of curious eyes and he felt very self conscious, standing out in pants and t-shirt, no shoes on.

Stiles just flushed at Isaac’s words but before he could say anything, Laura came out, significantly less turned out than her brother in teeny tiny old running shorts and a tank top that rode up above her navel, “Derek did you find- _there_ you are Zippy.”

“Sorry Auntie Laura. I heard and saw new people.”

“Just like a puppy,” Laura half smiled and looked at the people clustered on the Stilinski’s front lawn, “Good God Stiles is _everyone_ in your pack unfairly good looking?”

“Oh I like her.” Erica grinned broadly and swept her hair away from her face. “Anyone who calls me pretty is quality people.” 

Isaac just felt like he had swallowed his tongue. The woman was a goddess, no mere mortal could look like that. 

“Yes Laura, my pack is unfairly good looking, except for our former lizard, his nose is crooked,” Stiles grinned, leaning on Isaac’s shoulder, “Well introductions. This,” he tilted his head at Isaac, “is my puppy, Isaac Lahey, the academic ninja studying to be a pediatrician. The redhead is Lydia Martin, do not let the sleek look and fluffy chickie facade fool you she will win a Field’s Medal before she’s thirty, mark my words.”

Lydia inclined her head with a regal smile, going to stand beside Jackson, hooking her arm through his.

Jackson’s smile was sharkish and coldly polite. He didn’t know these people and he hadn’t made up his mind yet if he wanted to know them. 

“That’s Jackson and don’t worry, he’s an ass to everyone except Lydia and Danny.” Erica was still grinning. “I’m Erica Reyes, I have the pleasure of teaching little miss sunshine there, this is Boyd.” She nodded to the man next to her.

“That character assessment of Jackson is, unfortunately, accurate,” Stiles drawled, “And that,” he gestured at the man coming up on Jackson’s other side to poke him in the ribs, “Is Danny Mahealani.”

Laura grinned, “Wait, your born wolf’s best friend’s last name means ‘Heavenly Moonlight’?”

“I know, the irony is almost too much isn’t it?” Stiles chuckled.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at both Stiles and the other alpha and pulled Danny closer to him and Lydia protectively. 

Isaac was still standing as if nailed to the ground. He had never believed in the expression of being struck by lightning before now.

“Babies,” Stiles announced, “This is Laura Hale, alpha of the Hale pack which includes Derek Hale and the little princess in his arms, one Ziva Hale.”

“Hi!” Ziva waved, “Don’t worry Mr. Jackson, Auntie Laura doesn’t bite.”

Jackson wasn’t sure about that, Laura Hale certainly looked like she could bite if she wanted to, though perhaps not in the way that the little girl meant. “Not worried.” He argued. 

“Can’t let anyone have the last word, not even a little girl.” Erica shook her head at Jackson. 

“Want breakfast?” Derek asked. “I make mean waffles?”

Danny elbowed Jackson, _hard_ , having learned just how much force it took these days to make an impression, “That’d be great but we don’t want to put you out. Especially since Jackson is a trash compactor.”

Stiles hooted laughter into Isaac’s shoulder.

Laura snorted, “Oh _believe_ me you have seen nothing until you’ve seen Derek with lamb chops set in front of him. That said, if Derek’s offering he means it.”

“I vote a big yes on this,” Stiles said, “Anything sweet that comes from Derek’s kitchen I am _all_ for.”

“So you’ve mentioned,” Lydia smirked at him, “repeatedly. I’ll go wake up Allison and Scott.” She turned and headed into the Stilinski house.

“Wake up Allison, literally kick Scott out of the bed she means.”

“I’ll go help her.” Isaac scurried off to glomp Ally and Scott and perhaps get his bearings back before he came face to face with the alpha goddess again.

Derek just nodded and carried Ziva inside to get the batter started. He had confidence that everyone could find their way inside his house on their own. “Go wake your uncle up, give him time to shake some of his creepy off before we have people coming over.” He put Ziva down.

Laura snorted, “Never happen. His creepy is eternal.” She trotted to the guest room to put on a soft green sweater and slick black jeans. She brushed her hair out and had dabbed a little scent on before she even realized it. She looked down at the bottle of specially formulated perfume for werewolves in confusion. “What the hell?” She flicked back to the introductions then blushed when she realized she’d noticed just how good the curly haired tall drink of water Stiles had called his puppy looked in a peacoat. This was...different.

Peter was up already, humming happily at the thought of more people coming over. Including the ex Kanima. He didn’t want to make Stiles angry but that didn’t stop him from trying to find away to ask the boy all the questions he had about the Kanima. 

“Don’t.” Derek warned the moment he saw his uncle. “One word about that and I will make sure you have to eat through a straw for the next months, accelerated healing and all.”

Laura came slinking up behind him and wrapped her arms around her uncle and purred, “And I will be _happy_ to help him,” she squeezed, just a little too tight, “Or just let Stiles have at you.” She moved to pour herself a glass of milk.

“Spoilsports, the both of you.” Peter grunted from where Laura had squeezed him, damn but that girl was strong, even for an alpha. 

“Happy to be a spoilsport as long as you behave.” Derek pulled out the waffle iron and plugged it in.”

Ziva appeared again, wearing her favorite jeans and a shirt with a Looney Toons kitten on it, “Is Uncle Peter laughing like Frankenstein again?”

“He’s well on his way there.” Derek nodded. “And we all know what happened to Frankenstein don’t we?” He pulled out fruit and berries as well as syrup, cream and chocolate chips so everyone could have what they wanted on their waffles.

“Funny.” Peter made a face at them. 

“Uh-huh, he was mobbed by lotsa angry villagers,” Ziva sat down next to Laura and sniffed the air, “You smell super nice Auntie Laura.”

Derek hid his grin, he had noticed the lingering look the beanpole puppy had sent his sister and it seemed like she had looked back. He wasn’t about to say anything though, he was not one to throw stones in glasshouses. “You do, really nice.” 

Laura’s glare at his back could have roasted chestnuts. 

Approximately fifteen minutes later there was a knock at the door before it was opened and Allison stepped inside, “The rest of the insanity isn’t far behind me I don’t think. But they were watching Lydia lecture Scott about my lack of helplessness. Stiles is going to let her run out of steam then remind her of the differences between werewolves and men...then she’ll be distracted trying to figure out how to train Jackson out of being overprotective before they have their own spawn,” she was shaking in amusement, “I just don’t have the heart to tell her it won’t work.”

Laura grinned at the sweet faced girl, “I can do that.”

“If I have to play nice then so do you.” Peter grumbled. “Besides, let it be a surprise.” 

Derek was standing by the waffle iron, like this when they were standing side by side, you could really see the resemblance between Allison and Ziva, that they were cousins. This was something that Derek would have to get over. Allison was not Kate and it was unfair to hold her family against her. Derek just wished he knew how to let go and get over it.

It wasn’t long before Scott was running in and burying his face in Allison’s shoulder, soon followed by a smirking Stiles and Isaac. Stiles walked over to give Ziva a hug hello, and move out of the way as Erica, Boyd, and Danny came in, the woman cackling madly.

Danny rolled his eyes, “And you wonder why Jackson calls you a harpy.”

“He’s a former lizard who’s in a relationship with a banshee, not in much of a position to call me anything.” Erica continued to cackle. “It was a show though, wished I’d had some popcorn as I enjoyed it.” She winked at Ziva. “Besides, I am awesome, isn’t that right Missy Hale?”

“Uh-huh, she can make volcanos _explode_ Daddy!” she told him, “and she made a battery out of a potato so a light bulb lit up and lets us squish things around and read out loud and cross the Mississippi like Tom Sawyer! And Mr. Boyd lets us piggyback and helps us on the jungle gym.”

Boyd’s smile was small but gentle. He loved working with the kids, helping _Erica_ work with the kids.

“Mr. Boyd is awesome too.” Erica agreed. “Couldn’t make it through a day without him.” 

Scott held on to Allison. “I had managed to repress how scary Lydia can be. Also...you two have a shopping date now.” He pressed a kiss to his girlfriend’s jaw. “Apparently she must see to it that our baby does not inherit my fashion sense.”

Allison snorted, “Yeeeeah, not putting the bun in anything but the utilities until he or she is old enough to sit up on their own. And _God_ no to over the head newborn onesies. Who thought those up a sadist?”

“You can do what we did, we just let Zippy be naked until she was old enough to dress herself.” Peter cackled at Ziva’s horrified gasp. 

“Hide your shoes Uncle, I am giving her free reign.” Derek replied very softly. “And of course you had clothes on, you’ve seen the pictures.”

“Photoshop.” Peter mumbled.

“Liar,” Ziva accused.

“He is,” Laura kissed her niece’s head, “A lying liar who lies.” The rest of Stiles’ pack arrived and Laura got up to help Derek bring everything to the table, also subtly maneuvering things around so that Stiles and Derek were sitting right next to each other. If that also happened to put her next to the curly haired puppy...well bonus.

Isaac hoped that he was something close to normal as he sat next to the goddess, he could even answer when people were talking to him but all he could really think about was how good the woman next to him smelled. 

“Dig in, just take what you like.” Derek offered and loaded waffles on Ziva’s plate. “What topping do you want sweetpea?”

“Berries and honey!” 

“You sure you’re not part bear Princess?” Stiles teased.

“Nope I’m all wolf! An’ some day when I finish the high shift I’m gonna be a pretty gold wolf.”

Stiles’ eyes nearly popped out of his head, “Wait what?” He looked around at the Hales, “You can do that? Become an actual wolf?”

Derek nodded, piling berries and pouring a generous amount of honey over the waffles before handing Ziva the plate. “Yeah, it’s not that hard. It’s all about focus, emotions and being one with your wolf. It’s very rare to manage it before puberty though, you have to know yourself for it to succeed.”

“Is it instinctive?” Danny asked, “Or does someone have to show you?”

Laura paused her nibbling, “Depends. Some omegas learn by instinct because they don’t _have_ anyone to show them and they don’t have the security of pack to provide them safety. They have to learn by instinct or likely die. Betas are usually shown by their parents or their alpha. In a pack there’s no all consuming need to be stronger on your own because someone always has your back, you’re not alone.”

Jackson looked tight lipped and upset and Derek got how lucky he had been, how lucky their whole family was, to have that security and people to help them through that shift, to know they always had others to protect them and watch over them. “We can try to talk the wolves through it later.” He offered.

“Why don’t we just shift and show them?” Peter looked innocent which was never a good sign.

“I’m not getting naked by the breakfast table. Shut up and eat your waffles.” 

Laura sighed, “Don’t mind Peter, approximately sixty percent of what comes out of his mouth in a relaxed setting is bullhockey. He likes disturbing people.”

“Oh memories,” Danny drawled.

“Such fun,” Stiles snorted, remembering exactly what he knew Danny was talking about.

Lydia took a sip of coffee, “Is there a difference between inheriting an alpha’s power and stealing it? I mean in the affect it has on the new alpha. I’ve wondered for a little while now.”

“Yes,” Laura nodded, “When you inherit it you’re already trained to deal with the influx of power, the rawer instincts. But when it’s stolen it can do one of two things. Either the new alpha is overwhelmed and goes power hungry or they have to seclude themselves for a time to get used to the change. After that they often make better alphas than those born to it.”

“There’s also a difference between stealing it and getting it.” Derek added. “Stealing it mostly means you’re after the power in the first place and then it is very easy to get drowned by the power. It corrupts you. Getting it, even if you have to kill the previous alpha is another thing completely and as Laura says, those often makes the best alphas. They have seen both sides of the coin.” Derek was not an alpha and he had no wish to be one, he would never completely get what it was like to be one but he had listened to his mother’s wisdom. 

Stiles picked up the bottle of maple syrup and passed it to Lydia, “Thank you for indulging my banshee in her ongoing delusion that I’m bothered by how I became a human alpha.”

“I have perfected masks Stilinski, you can’t hide behind one with me.”

Ziva tilted her head at Lydia, “You’re silly.”

Laura covered his mouth to hide her amusement when the redhead gaped at Ziva, who had gone back to her waffles like she’d said nothing.

Stiles grinned, “Ziva you are my favorite Hale.”

Derek couldn't help but smile at the way his daughter beamed and sat up straighter at those words, it was adorable. "Zippy is everyone's favorite Hale."

Jackson squeezed Lydia's hand, careful not to let any of his amusement show.

“That’s cause she’s the cutest one,” Laura said, “Peter’s mangey, Derek’s a stubbled tree, and I, well I am gorgeous but cute? Nah.”

“Careful there Laura, that ego might blow the roof off,” Stiles grinned, “and really you were cute when you were a fifth grader.”

“I hate you,” she forked up chocolate chip waffle, “God you have a memory like an elephant, anyone ever tell you that?”

“It’s one of his more endearing qualities,” Lydia finally got over the shock of being talked down to by an _eight year old_ , “and useful, especially when it’s time to shop for gifts.”

“I am _not_ being dragged into the mall again this year by you Lyd,” Stiles wagged his fork at her, “I have finished mine. It isn’t my fault you always leave it to the last week before Christmas.”

"I'll come with you." Isaac offered the redhead when he saw her beginning pout, I haven't even started with my Christmas shopping yet." That wasn't really true but Isaac never wanted anyone in his close circle to me angry or sad so he always did everything he could to keep everyone as happy as they could be.

"I wouldn't turn down the mall either." Erica smiled and looked over at Laura. "How about you, wanna join?"

She glared when all three members of her family started laughing hysterically, even Ziva.

Stiles cocked his head curiously, though he liked seeing Derek laugh like that, a lot. “Okay what’s the joke?”

Ziva giggled into her hands, “Auntie Laura always does _all_ her shopping over the computer. She never goes to the mall, ever. She kicked Uncle Peter out of the house when I was five and the ‘lectricity was down to go get cheetos.”

“I am perfectly capable of going to the mall. _Stop it_ ,” she hissed at her brother when he almost slid out of his seat with laughter, “I can go shopping!” The laughter just got louder and she growled, “Fine! I’ll show you,” she turned to Erica, “I’d be happy to come with you all.” And that, she saw with satisfaction, shut her hyenas of a pack up pretty quickly.

“If you want to come with us that’s great.” Erica met Laura’s eyes. “I would love to get to know you better and I think the two of us could really get along, but if you come just to prove a point...we’ll then I’d rather that you didn’t. It would make the day uncomfortable for everyone and frankly it would be kind of a douche move.” 

Derek nearly choked on his blueberries. Not many people talked to Laura like that. His sister commanded respect everywhere she went.

Laura wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that.

Stiles helped out, “Why the aversion to shopping?”

“It’s loud and there are too many smells and oh _God_ the perfume counters,” she shuddered, “It’s bad enough with beta senses,” she got agreeing nods from Scott and Jackson, “with alpha senses it’s like being slapped in the face repeatedly.”

“Then you shouldn’t force yourself. I’m sure you could, and could have a good time as well,” Lydia said, “but I don’t want you to put yourself through misery just because your two male betas are insensitive toads.”

“Exactly, men are the same all over the world, wolves or not, especially family.” Erica nodded, trying to soften her earlier words. “Don’t go to the mall if it is painful for you. Not to shove the words down Hottie McDad and Older Sexy Guy’s throats. We’ll meet and get to know each other anyway. Have an awesome night in, with movies and your brother’s cupcakes.”

And Laura looked absolutely _baffled_. She genuinely couldn’t remember the last time she spent an evening with other women when negotiating alliances or non-aggression pacts hadn’t been on the table.

Erica’s smile dimmed and she began to look a little unsure. “Did I say something wrong?” The gorgeous alpha lady just stared at her and Erica was half scared the other woman would reach across the table and snap her neck.

Isaac wasn’t a wolf but even he could see that Laura Hale wasn’t upset, she was surprised and Isaac wondered just how lonely Laura really was when it came to friendships.

“No. I just...can’t remember the last time I did that. Was part of a ladies night I mean.” She suspected it might have been before the fire but everything between then and now was just a blur of moving and running really.

“Then you’re overdue,” Allison said kindly, “I’m sure Stiles would sacrifice himself to make dinner before joining the rest of the guys.”

“Sure. There’s a recipe for venison with cocoa nibs I’ve been wanting to try anyway.”

“Awesome! It’s a date!” Erica’s smile was back in blinding force. She did like Laura, the little time she had spent with her and since she had spent the first part of high school without friends, she knew how important they were, even when you had family backing you up. 

“It’s just for grown up girls right?” Ziva looked up at her Daddy, “I don’t have to join in do I?”

Derek’s lips twitched because Ziva looked honestly distressed at the thought of having to join. “No, you absolutely don’t have to join in, who would look after me and Squig if you went AWOL for a whole night?”

“Good. They’re probably gonna watch _mushy_ movies,” Ziva wrinkled her nose, “Like the Notebook and Bridget Jones _yuck_!”

Stiles’ shoulders were shaking and he had to turn and look at the wall, hard, to keep from catching sight of Lydia’s expression. Imagining it was bad enough, especially with the way several of his male pack members were coughing into their waffles.

“Just wait until your hormones kick in Missy Hale.” Erica didn’t even bother to hide her amusement. “Then you will like mushy movies too. Besides, the movies are only background noise for the gossiping...mostly about boys.”

Jackson had his face buried in the collar of his sweater, trying to hide his smile from Lydia.

“Boys are icky! Cept for Daddy and Mr. Stiles,” Ziva proclaimed.

Boyd chuckled, “I give it four years, tops, before she’s planning her dream wedding,” he murmured to Erica.

Erica nodded with a grin, a grin that widened when Derek turned pale and scared looking, having obviously heard Boyd’s whisper. 

“Boys _are_ icky Zippy...girls too. Please remember that until you are like thirty.” Derek pleaded. 

“Derek, you turned twenty-five a month ago, please stop acting like you’re seventy-five.” Peter sniffed at his nephew.

“Maybe if you didn’t act like you’re twelve he might not feel the need to overcompensate.”

Stiles lost it. He heard Scott choke, glanced at him, and lost it, cackling into his breakfast.

“Mr. Stiles are you okay?” Ziva looked at him in concern.

“Fine,” it was a little strained, “Just...your aunt is a funny lady.”

Scott was still snort laughing and trying his very best to choke it back by stuffing his mouth full of waffles. It wasn’t working all that great. 

Isaac looked over at him, thanking the fates that the kid would have Allison for a mother seeing that. 

Ziva pondered everyone for a minute then, “Daddy what’s overcompensating mean?”

“It means trying too hard to make up for something that you lack.” Derek replied, ignoring the snickers around the room. He had been asked much worse questions than this by his little girl so this one he felt safe answering.

“Oh...how come everybody thinks that’s funny?”

Stiles managed to get himself under control, “Because we’re immature and horrible. It’s like Lord Farquad and Duloc.”

“You mean like how the castle’s really, really, really big but Farquad is itty bitty?”

“Yup, that’s about it.”

She shrugged, still not getting it, and went back to her waffles.

Derek reached out and ran a hand over her still sleep tousled curls. He loved that she didn’t got it, that she still had a few years of innocence left. “What sort of hairdo do you want today Princess?” 

“Endor Leia!” She beamed.

“Derek you have raised your daughter right, I salute you,” Stiles raised his water glass.

“I know, don’t know how it happened honestly.” Derek’s ears turned red and his smile was shy. Still Ziva was the one thing he was really proud of, the only thing he had somehow managed to get right and not screw up. Not yet anyway. “Endor Leia it is.”

Stiles just smiled and let Laura draw him into a discussion and sneaky request to talk later on, after Ziva’s bedtime and a transformation demonstration for Jackson and Scott, while taking occasional glances at Derek and Ziva.

Erica pulled Peter into a loud discussion about regular books versus e-books and Isaac was happy enough to just sit at the breakfast table in silence. He soaked up the comfort of being back home, surrounded by the people that mattered to him. And he if he stole glances at Laura Hale from time to time, well then that was no one’s business but his own.


	9. Chapter 9

Stiles looked up from the book he’d been reading while refereeing a bickering match between Erica and Isaac as a deep brown wolf with cock eyed ears trotted in, followed by a snow fucking white wolf. Well he said wolves but they were _huge_. The size of ponies. “Holy crap.”

Isaac looked up and dropped the carrot stick he was just about to bite into at the sight of the wolves. He knew his friends and the Hales were werewolves but seeing this, these giant wolves, there was something primal and nearly regal about them.

“Cool.” Erica was wide eyed. “Any chance I can convince one of them to let me ride them?”

Stiles wasn’t the least bit surprised when the white wolf growled at Erica then went to nuzzle at Lydia.

Lydia buried her fingers in a surprisingly soft ruff, “You’re so soft. It’s like velvet.”

The white wolf made a content huff and rested its huge head on her.

The brown one bounded over to Stiles like a ginormous puppy, ruining the regal image and proceeded to lick and slobber all over him.

“Ack Scott! Urgh slobber, you are drooling!” Stiles was laughing though and gripped the fur at Scott’s neck, leaning in to set his teeth against his chin and make a soft, happy growling sound from his chest wolf before letting him go, “Good job. Now go love on your mate.” He sat upright as Laura and Derek, fully dressed and human, came into the room.

Laura flopped into a loveseat, “They’re fast learners, especially Scott.”

Derek nodded. Surprisingly Scott was very in tune with his wolf and once he let go of his own stubbornness he had managed the full shift very quickly. 

Scott preened before charging at Allison, stopping right in front of her to drop and lie down belly up, tongue lolling out in a wolf laughter.

Jackson’s ears twitched and even in wolf form he scoffed, as if something like that was way beneath him.

Lydia just scratched his ears and kissed the top of his furry head, “So this meeting, I suppose this is about us,” she swept her hand around casually at her pack members.

Allison glanced up from where she was rubbing Scott’s belly to pay attention to the answer.

“Yes,” Laura nodded, “I need to know the details of what happened.”

“Because Beacon Hills was supposed to be your responsibility,” Stiles met her eyes, “and if you allow another pack to stay you need to know everything about them.”

“Yes. It’s important so when another pack from outside the area might decide they want to ally or visit, I know how much to share and how much to hide as well as how best to show my support for your pack.”

“We are nothing but grateful to all of you.” Derek met Stiles’ eyes, it was important to him that Stiles knew that. “We just need to what happened.” Shoulder some of the responsibilities so that Stiles wouldn’t carry such a heavy burden on his own.

“Better settle in then,” Lydia said, “This is going to take a while.”

“Understatement. I’m not really sure where to start, I mean it all started when Scott got bitten but I gave the Cliff Notes of that so,” Stiles set his book down and rested his elbows on his knees, “There wasn’t really all that much behind the rogue alpha, he bit Scott, Scott and I ambushed him, and I cut off his head. There was plenty of snarling and commentary of the kind found in bad b-horror flicks.”

“And hospitalization,” Allison reminded him, “Yours from a gaping claw mark down your side. But yeah. The rogue alpha was the easy part of sophomore year.” She got on the floor with Scott, rubbing her cheek against his furry shoulder, “The hard part started with Matt Dahler.”

Scott growled at the name and managed to somehow hover over Allison, radiating protectiveness even in this form, actually it was made all the more potent now that it was indeed a giant wolf looming over her.

Derek was upset hearing about the claw marks. Once again he was reminded just how close he had come to never get to know Stiles at all. He hated how lost and horrible that made him feel. “Matt Dahler?”

“Yeah. Matt was...unbalanced. I mean there was reason for it but the little bastard was warped and screwed in the head.” Stiles got up to sit next to Isaac, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and drawing Laura’s sharp, concerned gaze, “When Matt was a kid he was visiting Isaac to see one of his comic books and he got thrown into the pool by Isaac’s older brother,” he rubbed Isaac’s back up and down, “He nearly drowned and was intimidated into staying quiet about it by Coach Lahey.”

Isaac curled in on himself and leaned against Stiles. He knew all about his father’s intimidation tactics and he still felt it was his fault. It was him Matt had come to visit, if it wasn’t for him then the near drowning might not have happened and perhaps Matt wouldn’t have gone off the deep end.

Jackson was agitated too, these were things he didn’t like to remember. He buried his furry head in Lydia’s lap.

Lydia just pet him gently, half curling over him in a protective manner, “Daehler became obsessed with getting revenge on the swim team and Coach Lahey for what happened after it caused him flashbacks and hydrophobia. He also became obsessed with Allison, stalking her, taking pictures of her without her knowledge.”

Allison shuddered, “Creepy little bastard. He was always looking for something, some way to get what he wanted and he figured out about werewolves by watching me and Scott.”

“Scott had _really_ awful control at first, even around Allison,” Stiles started.

Allison made a soft sound of amusement, “He partially shifted the first time we tried to,” her cheeks went bright red, “...well.”

Laura ran a hand over her face, “Oh my God really?”

Allison nodded, “I didn’t even know about the family business so it was...an experience to say the least.”

If a wolf could blush then that was what Scott was doing and he looked seconds away from covering his head with his paws.

Erica had heard this story before but it still made her giggle madly. “I wish I could have seen it...not you two in the sack but your reaction to have more of an animal in the bedroom than you ever imagined.”

Derek’s lips twitched. “It’s not that strange really. Scott got bitten at the absolutely worst time, when his hormones ran rampant.”

Allison cleared her throat, “Well it was a surprise and after we’d calmed down and he was wearing his usual face we talked. He explained about being bitten and that they’d tried to see if it was curable but no luck. I think he was expecting me to hit him and run away,” she smiled down at her currently very furry fiance.

Lydia snorted, “As if you would ever.”

“Well obviously I didn’t. I didn’t think my parents would be happy to discover that movie creatures were real so we tried to keep everything secret,” Allison was frowning, “Only to find out that Matt had followed me and Scott on a date, taken a picture of Scott wolfed out and sent it to my mother.”

“Which, joy upon joys, brought me into direct and very pissed off contact with Victoria Argent,” Stiles said, “She tried to stab him the first time, which resulted in the wine bottle upside the head.”

“Did this Daehler send the picture to your mother to get you away from Scott and have you to himself or did he know about the family business?” Derek asked, even as he sent Stiles an admiring look, he was still happy about the wine bottle to the head. 

“At this point it was still all about Allison.” Isaac replied softly, still burrowed against Stiles.

Stiles nodded, running his fingers through Isaac’s hair soothingly, “He didn’t know anything about hunters, he just figured Allison’s parents would disapprove and she’d stop seeing Scott.”

“Except it did pretty much the opposite,” Allison grimaced, “I told my parents off and Dad...well he wasn’t happy but Scott had never hurt anyone so it wasn’t like he could _do_ anything. He follows the hunter’s code to the letter.”

“And your mother?” Laura asked.

“Tried to kill Scott one more time on her own, filled a room with wolfsbane gas and locked him in,” Stiles’ jaw was ticking.

Danny spoke up then, “I was passing by and saw Stiles running into an old, rusty warehouse. Then next thing I saw was him dragging a coughing and vomiting Scott out and Victoria Argent pulling a gun on them both.”

Derek felt like growling. Victoria Argent was a demon, evil inside and out, by what he heard here it sounded more like she was the one related to Kate instead of Chris. “A gun? She was planning to shoot a human?” Because even if Stiles was an alpha, he was still a human and pulling a gun on him was crossing the line so far you could never find it again. He was very happy Ziva wasn’t here to hear this.

“I don’t think Victoria Argent cares about anything but getting her own way.” Isaac gave Allison an apologetic look.

“She really doesn’t.” Allison rubbed Scott’s ears.

“So nice that her plans then were thwarted by an excellently aimed arrow,” Stiles said, smiling at Allison.

“Well I had to do _something_ when I saw her sneaking out in Dad’s rover.”

He explained, “Ally shot Victoria through the wrist, made her drop the gun and I shouldn’t be proud of this but I cold cocked her.”

“Then tied her up and carted her to my father and made it very clear what you’d do if she tried to go after Scott again,” Allison continued.

“I disagree, you should be very proud.” Derek muttered, wondering just how Chris had reacted getting his wife back trussed up like a turkey and given a lecture by Stiles. 

“Stiles is great when he puts the fear of god into someone.” Isaac smiled softly.

“I try. Anyway I thought that’d be that, especially since I had Danny as a witness,” he blew Danny a kiss, “for her attempted shooting so I could still have her arrested at any time.”

Danny snorted in amusement. “I decided to ignore the drama going on with what I _thought_ at the time was a threesome relationship, and completely unaware of Daehler’s crazy, continue on my way to borrow one of his video cameras.”

Lydia was stroking her fingers over Jackson’s back, “At the time Jackson had been going through blackouts and waking up to a trashed room or naked outside my bedroom window at one point.”

“I still find it so funny that, that wasn’t the first time he had woken up naked outside your window though...even before any of the time losing began.” Isaac snickered. “It says a lot about your whole relationship actually.”

Jackson growled, if he’d had fingers right now he would have flipped Isaac off. 

“Matt was the captain of the photography club as school.” Isaac continued. “He had the best equipment and that’s why Danny would borrow a camera from him.”

“Jackson recorded himself,” Lydia continued, ignoring the banter, “and apparently saw himself become a gigantic lizard on film. He erased it but Daehler was apparently very good at retrieving erased images,” her voice was tight with anger and she bent further to drape herself like a shield over Jackson.

Stiles picked up the thread, “Somehow Daehler figured out what Jackson was and how to control him, and he saw his shot at revenge and took it. He used Jackson to kill...well a lot of people. Everyone he considered connected to the pool incident. Isaac got arrested on suspicion of killing his father and while he was in the holding tank and Scott and I were at the station Daehler attacked. Turns out a mountain ash bat works just as well on a werelizard as a wolf,” the canine snort he heard from Jackson made him relax a little. Jackson was a douche but he was their douche and he didn’t like him bleeding, “Lydia was in it by then too, her banshee powers were manifesting and she...well.”

“She found the bodies,” Laura nodded, “So you managed to fend off a kanima with a bat and...”

“Gave Daehler a broken arm before he retreated. Unfortunately for us all we didn’t know Victoria had called in a reinforcement,” he hissed violently.

“Gerard.” Derek breathed out because he got it. Peter would break his arms and legs if he ever found out that Derek thought so but in some ways, Gerard and Peter were a lot alike. They were both drawn to power and if Gerard somehow found out about a Kanima, well he would walk over corpses to get power and control over such a creature.

“Gerard.” Isaac nodded. 

Lydia was stroking her hands all over Jackson as he growled, low and feral, “Gerard Argent killed Daehler, his only good deed in the course of his existence, to get control of Jackson.” 

Allison pet Scott’s head, “Things got...a little scary then. Stiles’ had already told the Sheriff about everything so he was able to help when he could but mostly we were on our own.”

“Isaac moved in with me,” Stiles said, “and we all brought Lydia up to speed and she started working with us while Jackson decided to break up with her.”

“Because he was an idiot trying to protect me,” she said.

Jackson whined and pawed at her. Of course he was trying to protect her. Lydia was the love of his life, he had known that back then too. But he was a killer, he had killed many innocent people and he was afraid that if his new master knew how important Lydia was to him, he would be forced to kill her too. Gerard Argent hadn’t wanted Jackson, he just wanted the monster and anything and anyone that tied Jackson to humanity had to go.

“People are known for doing idiotic things for love.” Erica said. “Though if anyone is more than capable of taking care of herself and choosing her own paths to tread it’s Lydia Martin.”

Boyd nodded, “Besides it turned out to be a wiser decision in the end. Gerard staged ‘animal attacks’ apparently hoping to draw other hunters to the area. He went after Erica, just after she had a bad seizure when climbing the gym rock wall.”

Lydia was murmuring softly to Jackson as Allison picked up the thread, “Boyd cracked a big, metal rod over his head and got tossed into a wall before Stiles and Scott got there to ward Jackson off. And then there was the pool,” she rolled her eyes, “How long were you treading water again Stiles?”

“Two hours and never do i ever want to hold Boyd’s heavy ass up in eight feet of water ever again. Jesus.”

“You held him up in water for that long?” Derek looked surprised. Stiles was far from scrawny but he was still lean and Boyd was built like a tank.

“He did.” Erica nodded. “While I was out cold beside the pool and Scott and Allison were too busy trying to steal Gerard’s bestiary to answer their fucking phones.” 

Scott let out an embarrassed whine. 

“Excuse you but that too busy helped save our asses if you will recall,” Allison said primly, “We only managed to get a few pictures of the pertinent information but it got Snowball there out of his crocodile skin.”

“Children,” Stiles said, “We’ve been over this before. It was a clusterfuck of great proportions. Which ended, joy of joys, with Erica getting abducted.”

Laura saw Stiles’ eyes flash red in rage and sat up straighter, “Abducted?”

“Yup.” Erica didn’t look too concerned about the whole thing. “Take out the one with epilepsy, the weakest one in the group and if she dies...well then that’s not too big of a loss, her brain is killing her anyway.” She smiled. “They didn’t count on Stiles and the rest of my awesome friends though.” 

“Very _much_ did not count on Stiles. I never even knew he could _get_ that pissed off before,” Lydia said, “He set me and Isaac and Danny on Jackson. Me because I love the big idiot and he was sure it was still returned,” she was smiling down at her mate’s fur, “Danny because he and Danny have been practically brothers since infancy, and Isaac because Jackson does have a heart and Stiles knew it. Allison, Scott, and Boyd were set on the other hunters in Gerard’s base. Stiles went after Gerard himself.”

“Jackson lived next door to me when we grew up.” Isaac offered softly. “He tried to stop Dad several times.” Jackson was a douche but he had tried to step in when his father was at his worst. That’s why Stiles had sent Isaac with Lydia.

“Is that how Gerard ended up nailed to several trees across the forest?” Derek knew that he was talking about Allison’s grandfather but there didn’t seem to be too much love lost there so he didn’t have any problems with speaking his mind. 

“Gerard tried to run,” Stiles spat with disgust, “and tried to force Jackson to kill Lydia and Isaac to give him cover but Lydia managed to get him to come back to himself and settle his issues in one fell swoop. And I knew that Gerard would come back if I let him run.”

“And you were pissed,” laura said softly, approvingly, “He’d hurt your pack and his staged animal attacks put them in danger from further hunter groups.”

He nodded sharply, “So I took care of both problems at the same time, killed him, cut him up, and nailed the pieces to trees along the Beacon Hills’ borders.”

“We all applauded you then and I still applaud you now.” Erica looked fierce and protective, as if she dared Derek or Laura to say anything against Stiles.

“You did the right thing.” Derek nodded. “The only thing you could do. If you hadn’t, your pack would have continued to be in danger and Beacon Hills would have been overrun by rogue hunters.”

“I know that,’ Stiles gave him an amused look.

“That summer was rough though.” Allison reached across Scott to take Stiles’ hand, “and we all saw it.”

Isaac went back to wrapping himself around Stiles like a centipede. This time offering comfort instead of soaking in it. 

“Rough?” Derek was concerned.

“The Sheriff found out his son had killed, dismembered and nailed a human being to trees. Not something you just brush off.” Erica looked serious.

Lydia made an irritable murmur, “No but drinking himself into a stupor wasn’t the wisest course of action either and nothing anyone can ever say will get me to change that opinion.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and hugged Isaac, “You and Melissa need to make a club. The ‘John Stilinski if you so much as touch that bottle I will end you’ club. And he didn’t spend all summer drunk. Just the first two weeks.” 

Boyd didn’t say anything though he remembered sitting with a quiet Stiles who’d admitted he’d have liked it better of John hadn’t stopped the drinking after two weeks, just to avoid the horror in his Dad’s eyes.

“Hard business all around.” Laura said softly.

Derek nodded, not knowing what to say. It must have been really hard for both Stiles and the Sheriff. At least they seemed to be in a good place with each other now though. Derek hoped they were.

Isaac was still squeezing the life out Stiles. He knew that time had been rougher than Stiles would ever admit to any of them. 

“Oh Junior year was even _less_ of a barrel of monkeys,” Danny, who’d maintained an easy expression up until now, almost snarled.

“Oh the fun part now,” Stiles drawled sarcastically.

“I still wish you’d have let me castrate him,” Allison said, actually pouting, “That bastard doesn’t deserve to ever get his rocks off ever again.”

“What?” Derek’s brows scrunched up over the bridge of his nose. He didn’t like the thought of anyone hurting Stiles and that was apparently what had happened.

“Oh, Junior year was when the alpha pack came to town.” Erica was practically breathing fire. 

“Alpha _pack_?” Laura sounded a little weak, eyes wide and shocked, “Deucalion and his little minions came _here_?”

“Oh you know of them?” Stiles let himself be piled upon when a good two hundred pounds of brown wolf jumped up and sprawled over his and Isaac’s laps and Allison wedged herself behind him, “Yeah, that would be them. Fun group, if you like psychotic, user assholes.”

Boyd made very human sounding growl, “They came here claiming they were policing the new pack in town. Acted very nice for a little while, long enough for one of the twins to seduce Stiles.”

Scott whined and squirmed so that he could lick a broad stripe up Stiles’ neck and cheek. He knew that Stiles had really fallen for Ethan, had loved him for real.

Derek felt the press of his claws against his palms and reined himself back in. Deucalion and the others must have had a grand time there. Tricking a bunch of kids into thinking they were nice guys. “What happened?”

Stiles tangled his fingers in the ruff of Scott's fur, "The Alpha Pack said they were essentially the police, feds, and MI6 for werewolves," at Laura's disdainful snort he smiled, "Yeah but we didn't know it was bullshit then and I kind of hoped that if the Biggest Bads around gave the stamp of approval to our pack it might keep territorial challenges at bay. I was a very naive, hopeful, trusting teenager,” he didn’t even give Jackson a withering glance when the white wolf did the closest thing to hilarious laughter a wolf was capable of. “Met Deucalion’s...I’d guess she’d be more like a Lieutenant than a Second.”

“Kali,” Laura said grimly, “I remember her, from before she slaughtered her pack. She wasn’t exactly stable then either.”

“No definitely not but she put on a good front. I think they were hoping for me to um...” Stiles wrinkled his nose, “be interested in her. Since my affection for scary, asskicking ladies is pretty well documented.”

Lydia scratched Jackson’s ears absently, “Fortunately Stiles was _not_ an easily trusting twit,” she wiggled a small canister out of her pocket, dangling it on it’s teeny chain, “Supernatural creature mace. When he wasn’t keeping his father’s liver from ossifying over the summer he was working with me on this, Isaac helped him make mountain ash drumsticks for our human members too, they work wonderfully as batons if you know out to use them.”

“Which my _Dad_ ,” Stiles’ look was pointed, “made sure we did.”

Laura hid her smile at the way Lydia backed down and Isaac ran a hand down Stiles’ side to soothe his irritation, “How did the meeting go then?”

“Calmly, she established they were in the area and would be testing us,” Stiles snorted, “Just ‘little tests’ to make sure we were capable of holding the territory.”

“Well they did keep the promise not to leave permanent marks until the end,” Boyd snarked.

“So kind of them,” Allison growled, carding her fingers through Stiles’ hair, “It was stressful but they sent their two youngest, twins that could actually merge together, into our school to try and make friends with us. Well Aiden tried to seduce Erica, came on _really_ strong and got a stiletto in the balls for his trouble,” she gave the blond a proud smile, “and backed off to just trying to be friends with us.”

Stiles sighed, “His twin was a lot better at the game,” it was soft, and spoken with bitter twist to his lips, “Ethan would drop tidbits about werewolves, and packs, things I _needed_ to know but didn’t really help us even if they appeared to at first. He’d volunteer to help me train for lacrosse, faked being sick a couple games so I’d get a shot at first line. So he could blend in in town he’d taken a job at a fast food place and whenever my Dad came through when he was working he’d tell me Dad was cheating on his diet. Surprised me with Reeses, a crosse maintenance kit, and Mets stuff.”

Lydia had to take her hands out of Jackson’s fur because her banshee claws sliced out in anger, “He knew exactly what to play on,” she hissed. She still wanted to scream that bastard’s death.

Allison wasn’t much better, “And that bastard was _patient_ it took six months before Stiles agreed to a date. Six months and a well staged ‘saving’ of Scott from Ennis.” She actually shook with fury and curled closer around Stiles.

“And all of it so that he could get close enough, get my guard down enough that he was able to knock me out and deliver me giftwrapped to Deucalion at the nematon for a sacrificial death. Fun, fun times.” Stiles snorted.

Isaac let out a very human whine and did his best to turn himself into a blanket around Stiles. This was the part he hated the most, he could handle anything but Stiles being hurt.

Derek didn't know what to do with himself, he knew that what Stiles was telling them had happened in the past but he still wanted to reach out and save Stiles, protect him even though it was impossible. It was also a very harsh reminder that not only hunters were unhinged and the bad guys. Their own kind could be just as bad if not worse. Because what the alpha pack had done, it was just cruel.

Laura’s gut clenched and she watched as Stiles leaned in and murmured soothingly to Isaac and Lydia jumped up to pace, clawed fingers twitching, “He was after the alpha power wasn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Stiles ran a hand down Scott’s pelt when his best friend whined and licked his chin, “And what easier way to get it than by sucking it out of a scrawny sixteen year old human? Apparently using the tree was a ritual suggested by Marin Morrell,” he didn’t react when Jackson made a savage snarl and tore into a throw pillow like it had personally offended him, “Because apparently you can’t just challenge and take power from a human alpha, there’s a process.”

Allison rubbed her cheek on top of Stiles’ head, “None of us knew that Deaton or Morrell were even aware of the supernatural until later, when we had Stiles back and he was awake.”

“To make a long story short, Deucalion spilled my blood on the tree,” Stiles wiggled and poked his way far enough from the blanket of his pack members to pull his shirt up and off, showing four raised parallel pinkish brown scars than sliced from his shoulder, over his heart to his ribs, “Expecting my bleeding out and death to be fast. He didn’t expect me to fight with everything I had, even things I hadn’t known I had until that point.”

Boyd spoke softly, “We all felt it, felt Stiles in danger and dying.”

Lydia made a distressed noise and went to sit with Jackson, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his ruff, “It was like Deucalion was ripping our hearts out.”

Stiles squeezed Isaac’s hand and slipped down and out to leave Scott and Allison to each other so he could touch Lydia and Jackson, reassure them that it was all okay, “You felt it,” he ran a hand over vibrant red hair, “and you all responded.”

Laura nodded in understanding, “Pack bond support,” she wanted to cry. This man had been through hell at sixteen that she didn’t think she’d survive now, “It gave you time and the power to find your spark.”

He nodded, “Yeah, and when I did find it I reached for help igniting it from the closest power source. The tree was _desperate_ to have a new guardian and slammed its own power into me like a freaking semi, turning my Spark into an Inferno that burned through the poison that Deaton and Morrell had been feeding the tree and the Alpha Pack.”

Danny had moved to crouch at Stiles’ back, gripping his shoulder, “I found him first because I’m the least supernatural of the group, the cloaking spells don’t work for shit on GPS in cell phones,” he exchanged a weak grin with Stiles, “just as that firestorm was consuming the Alpha Pack.”

“Unfortunately even raging Infernos of magic are influenced by emotions,” Stiles grimaced, “and even betrayed I was still in love. Ethan survived with some very impressive magical scars that keep him well the fuck away from Beacon Hills. The outpouring of magic let the tree connect with the ether and it used me as a conduit to forge a karma spell against Deaton and Morrell. I got a lovely home movie in the process about their plans and intentions while the gashes on my chest closed.”

“And then your funky ass passed out from bloodloss for a week.” Danny complained.

“I was being one with the earth you Philistine,” Stiles sniffed disdainfully.

“....” Laura watched as Stiles’ pack followed his lead, lightening the mood, joking with each other, and she made an almost whine, “You have no idea how much I want to hug you all right now. I am so, so sorry,” she blinked rapidly to clear her vision, “I distanced myself too far from my responsibilities for Beacon Hills. I _should_ have been coming back here once a year and walking the boundaries, making sure anyone approaching knew the territory was claimed, I should have kept tabs on what was happening here. But I didn’t and you all paid the price for that.”

Stiles met Lydia’s eyes, checking that she was okay, getting a slight nod, and got up to crouch in front of Laura, “No. It might have been your responsibility to look after Beacon Hills but what happened to us, what happened to me? Is _not_ your fault. Not yours and not any of your pack’s fault. I know grief, I know about wanting nothing more than to run away from everything that reminds you of what you’ve lost. Dad and I still can’t get our Christmas decorations down out of the attic because those were the ones my Mom picked out.” He reached up to cup Laura’s face, “You, and Derek, and Peter, you needed to heal. If I lost just _one_ of my pack now I’d be destroyed. I can not _imagine_ what it was like for you. You needed to heal and you needed a safe place for Ziva to grow into the sweet, amazing little eight year old that she is. That wasn’t going to happen here and coming back to walk the boundaries would have just ripped those wounds open for you again. This,” he pat the scars on his chest and the ones that raked down his side, “Is not on you.”

Derek was thankful for what Stiles said, it was just what Laura needed to hear. It wouldn’t stop her feeling guilty. Derek felt guilty too, he so wished he could go back and change that past. To save Stiles and his pack from that pain. Stiles had become stronger for it but Derek still wished it had never had to happen.

He also made intimate, intricate plans in his own head to find and kill Ethan in the most painful, drawn out way possible.

Jackson had done his best to curl up on Lydia, like a lapdog, licking at her face and neck. Doing his best to comfort his mate.

Laura reached down and cupped Stiles’ face in turn and pressed her forehead to his, “You’re an amazing person Stiles Stilinski.”

“You’re not bad yourself, for a cupcake stealer.”

It got her to laugh, “Little asshole.” She let him go and sat back up, “Did anything _else_ happen?”

“No,” Lydia was petting Jackson, having calmed herself down, “after that Stiles kept taking care of the tree and the land and no one has crossed the borders. And we all even felt better, did better than before. Especially Erica.”

“That’s the pack bond. It actually filters the wolf’s energy through the rest of you like a cycle. In a more wolf than human pack the humans’ abilities grow on par with the wolves because of it,” Laura explained as Stiles butt scooted back over to Lydia and Jackson.

“I don’t care what makes it work as long as it let’s me function somewhat normally.” Erica was leaning against Boyd. “Though I should have expected the pack to be behind it.” The pack and especially Stiles were the source behind most good things in her life and she was eternally grateful. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for any of them, including Jackson. 

Isaac burrowed closer to Allison, both of them still having a very large, brown wolf on top of them. Going through the past again always made him feel raw and vulnerable and he didn’t like it. 

“Of course you should have,” Allison said, cuddling close to Isaac, “we’re the best part of our lives.”

Danny snorted, “That sounds like something the philosophy major I was dating would spout.” He realized his mistake when his entire pack was looking at him all of a sudden.

Boyd asked, “What philosophy major?”

“When was this philosophy major? And why didn’t we know you were dating him?” Erica narrowed her eyes dangerously.

Even Jackson was giving Danny judging eyebrows though in his wolf form in mostly made him look constipated. 

Derek fought a grin, poor kid, having the whole pack’s interrogatory attention focused on you like that couldn’t be an easy thing.

Lydia’s gaze was the most lethal of all, one delicate red brow lifting, “Yes Daniel, why haven’t we heard about this philosophy major?”

“Because it wasn’t serious maybe? Nice ass, nice cock, excellent sack skills, cornflour for brains,” Danny answered as Stiles was pulling his shirt back on.

The human alpha smoothed the jersey knit material down, “And how long did this not serious thing last?”

“Not long?”

“Was that a question,” Allison said as Stiles sandwiched Isaac between himself and her.

“Sounded like a question to me yeah.” Isaac nodded and rested his head on Stiles’ shoulder. “Not long like in a weekend or not long like in a semester?” 

“Really Danny, dating someone just for their hump skills...sounds like something I would do.” Erica shook her head at her friend.

“The pickings are shockingly slim despite being at Juilliard and I don’t do well with blue balls Eri,” he wrinkled his nose at her, “Besides I’m not looking for a lifetime commitment yet. That can wait until after I graduate. And it was a semester, and yes Stiles,” he smiled at the other man before a syllable could be uttered, “All safe, sane and consensual.”

“Meh, as long as you both knew what you were getting into and no one came out of it with a broken heart...I say good for you man.” Isaac was curled against Stiles, his long, long legs bent beneath himself and Scott who was still sprawled out over the three of them. He wasn’t like that, he couldn’t have casual sex, didn’t want to sleep with someone if he didn’t feel something for them but he didn’t judge either. 

“I think Erica and Lydia are mostly disappointed they didn’t get the dish on this philosophy major,” Stiles said in amusement. He met the Hales’ eyes again, “But there you have it, the extent of the drama of the first two years of our packyness.”

Derek nodded. “Thank you for telling us, I’m sorry if it prodded at old wounds. From now on we will do our very best to help out when anything and everything that needs to be done.” Derek didn’t voice it but he was afraid that they could eventually bring trouble with them. There were likely both hunters and other creatures that would come back just because they heard the Hales were back in Beacon Hills. They were a small pack and Laura as a young alpha walked with a target on her back every step she took.

Stiles gave him a soft look, “It’s fine.”

Laura stood up, “We should go, it’s late and God help us but Zippy is a morning person.”

Stiles had to laugh at that.

“She’s missed this whole nocturnal aspect of werewolves. Loved it when she was tiny and slept through the night...loving it slightly less now when she wakes up at the buttcrack of dawn.” Derek rose and wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Thank you again and to the wolves...remember that you will be naked when you shift back.” 

Lydia looked down at Jackson with a smile, “He says that like its a drawback.”

Stiles almost fell off the couch laughing when Scott whined and tried to pin his ears down and pretend he hadn’t heard that, “Go get your beauty sleep. And I’m sure Lydia or Erica one will let you know when the girl night is to take place Laura.”

The lady alpha smiled, “I’m looking forward to it,” and headed out with Derek.

Erica waited until the Hales were firmly outside, knowing that Stiles’ wards would keep any conversation inside from being overheard. “So, what do we think of the return of the lost Hales? What will having another pack in this town mean for us?” She liked Laura and she adored Ziva but that didn’t stop Erica from putting her family, her pack first. 

“Danger,” Lydia said bluntly, “Laura hasn’t made a name fighting for territory, she’ll be considered weak and others looking for territory will come to challenge her. And they might just think the human alpha is an easy target in the process.”

Jackson nodded, his large white head bobbing up and down. 

“I don’t like it.” Isaac spoke up. “I mean they seem like great people, even the creepy uncle but Lydia is right. They bring danger with them and we are so scattered. So many of us away from home. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Well they’ll be wrong about the human alpha won’t they?” Allison said, “Stiles isn’t a druid, he’s the nematon’s guardian but not a druid and he’s fully capable of using magic to defend himself. It’s dangerous but...we don’t have the right to try and make them leave. Beacon Hills was Hale territory long before any of us were even born.”

“I’m not saying we make them leave.” Isaac shook his head vehemently, curls bouncing. “I would never do that.” He understood the need for a home, a place to put down roots and he would never take that away from someone. “And I know Stiles is more than capable enough to take care of himself and everything around him. I still just wished we weren’t so far away, that we could be here to help.”

“It is infuriating being so far apart,” Lydia said and stared at Stiles, “You just had to be a brilliant little shit.”

He just smirked right back at her.

“They’ve probably made alliances,” Boyd put in, “The Hales. Over their travels they probably made alliances with other packs so they have back up.”

“That would be the sensible thing to do yeah.” Erica nodded. “And Laura strikes me as a sensible alpha, she would have made alliances to take care of her pack. Change is never easy and yeah, they might bring danger but they will bring back up too, if we ever should need it. I don’t think it will be as bad as you all paint it out to be.”

Danny nodded, “But you and Boyd are here, while we’re all across the country.”

Allison carded her hands through Scott’s fur, “It makes us paranoid. Just a tad.” She eyed Stiles, “But you are suspiciously silent.”

“That’s right...you are.” Erica narrowed her eyes and leaned forward in her seat. “How come? Is it just because you trust them or is it because you know…” Erica drifted off not wanting to put Stiles completely on the spot. She thought it was great that Stiles was daring to feel something real for someone again and she didn’t want to ruin it.

“Know what?” Stiles cocked his head, curious, “C’mon Catwoman we don’t pull our punches remember?”

“Because you are falling in love with the family next door.” She looked up and met his eyes. “Both father and daughter.” 

“Falling implies it being in action. I’ve been sunk for a while now,” he gave her a wry smile, “No I’m quiet for an entirely different reason.” 

“Which is?” Lydia lifted a brow.

“Going to get me yelled at.”

“Well, that’s something you should be used to, we yell at you quite often after all.” Erica quirked her brow.

Scott was tense and he looked up at Stiles with soulful golden wolf eyes. He wondered just what his best friend was thinking now.

“Gah put those away, Jesus and I thought your puppy eyes while human were bad,” Stiles shoved Scott’s muzzle down, “I’ve stayed in contact with Ethan,” he waited for the explosion.

And it came, the whole room was deadly quiet for a moment before all hell broke out. Any other time it would have been funny seeing a wolf choking on his own tongue but right now Scott just stared at Stiles, coughing and and sputtering.

Isaac pulled away slightly. “Why, why would you do that Stiles. When he hurt you so much? You were the one who taught me how important a clean break with the past that hurt you was so why would you keep in touch with someone who helped plotting your death?”

And Isaac’s quiet questions hurt more than Lydia hissing latin curses at him. The way he pulled away was like a punch in the heart on top of it, “Because he’s out there, speaking to the were community, the underbelly of it.”

Lydia subsided, “You’ve stayed in touch for information.”

“Going both ways. He puts out rumors about how dangerous we are, the scars covering him help validate them, and I get a heads up if anyone starts talking about wanting to see if Beacon Hills is a prime plum to pluck. He considers it a small price to pay when I could demand all his territory and his life for weregeld.”

“It is a small price to pay, too small.” Isaac felt like an asshole but that was how he felt. No matter the information he got, staying in touch with a murderous, lying sack of shit could never be worth it. 

Allison studied Stiles, “How many?”

He gave her a sad smile, “This last year? Three. They never get past the outer wards but I like to strengthen the outer wards when I know they’re coming.” The outer wards were so far out from Beacon Hills that it would give the entire pack time to fly home and mount an offensive if they were breeched.

Scott whined and Erica burrowed close to Boyd again, he was her best friend. “Stiles.” There was a whole world of emotion in that single word. “I love you, I love you so much but I thought we had had this discussion. You shouldn’t do this shit all by yourself, take everything on your own shoulders. If this is what you have been doing, then I am fucking glad there is another pack in town. Maybe you can trust them to help you if you don’t trust us.”

Lydia sighed and got up to hug Stiles, helping him mask his flinch, “You idiot. You idiot.” She pulled him in and rocked him, “God I hope Derek Hale falls in love with you just as much as you have with him because you need someone who will do the same for you that you do for all of us. He’ll make you let him take care of you, let him put you first. You idiot.” She understood. She completely understood. Because she’d been there for every screaming, snarling argument as Stiles had encouraged them all to reach for their brass rings, to go to the Ivy League and highly accredited colleges, had been the only one not to argue with him. And she’d seen his near break down at not having to argue with her to follow her dreams. It wasn’t about trust. It was about happiness. Theirs. He’d sacrifice everything for their peace of mind and happiness and not give a single thought to his own.

Scott understood too, this wasn’t a new development. Stiles had been like this long before he became the alpha and emotional center for their strange pack. Stiles had always cared more about others than himself and he had always gone above and beyond to make his precious people happy. He wasn’t angry and he didn’t feel guilty either. He was grateful and he wanted to do his best, become the best he could be and repay Stiles that way. It was true that Stiles needed someone to take care of him too and Scott hoped, oh he hoped that Derek Hale would prove worthy of that role, worthy of Stiles. He shuffled up and licked at Stiles’ cheek, hoping his best friend understood that he had Scott’s full support in everything.

Stiles buried his fingers in Scott’s fur, gripping tight and letting him know silently that he heard him and appreciated the support. But he kept the rein he’d drawn on his emotions when Isaac had pulled back tight. Because this was his bad and he’d known they wouldn’t be happy, and he wasn’t about to let the hurt he felt now cut through his pack.

Allison shifted to press along his back, holding him tight. She didn’t blame him, but she badly wished he didn’t feel the need to guard them all from even the pack instinct. “We’re here. We’re not going to leave you just because you do a fabulous impression of a moron.”

“Never.” Erica echoed. “We’re not going anywhere, you are quite stuck with us.” 

“We can disagree with your choices and still love you.” Isaac agreed softly. “We...I just worry. I am a worrier and the thought of anything happening to you...I can’t even go there.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me. I was never planning on taking on wild werewolves alone. The first wards are so far out so I can call you all in for back up.”

“You should tell Laura or Derek about this,” Boyd said, “Tomorrow. So they can have their own protections set up.”

“Was planning on it,” he wasn’t about to let anything sneak up on Ziva or Derek.

“Okay.” Erica let out a breath and looked around the room. “What’s done is done and bitching about Stiles’ stubbornness is like beating your head repeatedly against a sharp rock so I say we leave this for now. We all love each other and we get so seldom get to be in the same place at the same time. Let’s enjoy this please.”

“Movie?” Allison asked.

“Movie,” Lydia answered with a nod, then pouted when everyone chimed in with a vote against the Notebook.

“I’m in the mood for Disney, something sweet like Lilo and Stitch.” Erica suggested, not giving one lick about Lydia’s pout. Lydia knew the notebook by heart, she could miss it for once.

“I’ll go make popcorn.” Isaac was just at home in the Stilinski kitchen as he was in his own. 

“I’ll get the tissues,” Allison bounced up, because there would be a need for tissues. 

“I’ll pour the drinks,” Lydia got up and gave her currently furry mate a look.

And Stiles found himself pinned underneath a furry white butt. “Mind scooting down a little there Snowball? Your tail is whacking me in the nose.”

Jackson let out a huffing sound close to a laugh and wagged his tail a few more times, really getting it all over Stiles’ face before scooting down obediently, plopping himself into a lying position on Stiles’ lap.

Stiles just let the pack fuss in their way and mentally planned how to tell Derek about the occasional planned incursions that never got close tomorrow while the girls and Isaac were shopping.


	10. Chapter 10

“So even though there’s never been anyone who’s gotten past the outer wards before it’s still something you should know about, that I didn’t want to bring up yesterday because yow enough emotional turmoil for one night don’t you think? So...yeah,” Stiles had tanked his plan with almost the first word and had, instead, word vomited all over Derek. And now he was holding his breath waiting for Derek’s reaction and hoping it wouldn’t be angry or disappointed.

Derek was sitting in a chair he had made himself, chin resting on his fingers. He was processing what Stiles had just said, it took some time for him to sort it out since it had mostly come in one long sentence. Finally he nodded. “Okay.” He met Stiles’ eyes. “Where exactly are these outer wards, what powers them? I am sure Laura will love to hear about them too. Would you mind if she added hers to them?” He thought it was a brilliant idea, to have wards stopping anyone with ill intentions from sneaking up on them. He was more worried that the wards were draining energy from Stiles or something like that.

That was it? Not even a flicker of ‘what the hell’? Just an okay and a want to know more? It struck Stiles dumb and he just _stared_ at Derek in astonishment before his knees went out and he was butt on the floor, head bowed, and laughing with one hand over his face. “Shit. _Shit_. I am so screwed up.”

Well right at this moment, Derek wasn’t certain he could disagree with that. He had no idea what he had said that was so funny and he was beginning to get a little concerned for Stiles. In the end he just reached out and pulled Stiles up with a strong hand, placing in him on the chair Derek had just vacated. “A little strange perhaps, not screwed up.” Derek thrust a coffee mug and a homemade bearclaw into Stiles’ hands.

“No, I’m screwed up,” Stiles leaned his forehead on the knee he drew up, “I have no guideline for dealing with an initial reaction of ‘Okay’ and ‘Tell me more’ where there’s a complete lack of negative feelings when it comes to any of the supernatural shit in my life. Christ,” he rubbed his forehead against the bony jean covered bend, “The last time I actually broke down sobbing. It was not pretty.”

“Why would there be any negative feelings or reactions?” Derek was honestly baffled. “I hate to be the one breaking this to you Stiles...but you are supernatural, there’s always, _always_ going to be supernatural shit in your life. Anything you can do to control that shit...we’ll yay for that.”

“I...I don’t know if this is going to make any sense to you but...my wolf, my chest wolf as I call him, mostly exacerbated my own natural tendencies in certain ways like...like when college acceptance letters came in. Lydia was the only one I _didn’t_ have to get into a long, ugly argument over actually _going_ to one of the further schools with. It’s...almost everything focuses around keeping them safe and happy and fulfilled. It’s all about the _pack_ for me, they come first, my wants come second. But they,” he scrubbed his hand through his hair, “Everyone but Scott and Jackson are human and they don’t _get_ that. They don’t get that what makes me happiest, is _them_ being safe and happy so they get pissed off when I don’t interrupt their lives every time something might be coming to say boo. They don’t...they’re thinking in terms of wholly human democratic leadership but you know...it doesn’t _work_ like that.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t work like that.” Derek could only imagine the strain this must put on Stiles. “A pack isn’t a democracy. In a pack you have _one_ leader and even though you obviously have a say, you still must trust that the one leading you knows what he or she is doing, that the leader is doing what is best for the whole pack in every decision. Big and small. If your pack is going to work, not tear itself and you apart. You need to make them understand that.” Derek looked sympathetic. 

“I’ve been trying to put that off until after they all graduate,” he lifted his head and rubbed the center of his brow, “Because it’s going to be a long and ugly discussion and college is stressful enough.”

“True I suppose.” Derek hadn’t gone to college but Laura had and he wasn’t an idiot. “But it is not going get any easier after college, with everyone embarking on their chosen careers, marriage, kids, the whole shebang. I can’t pretend to know what you feel like here but I do know that it’s a situation you are going to have to address.”

“You’re right. I just really wish you weren’t,” he rested his chin on his knee and looked at Derek, a little smile trying to tug on the corners of his lips, “Thanks. For...you know being cool about the whole hysterical break moment and listening.”

“I have an eight year old daughter, hysterical breakdowns doesn’t scare me. You should have been here for the epic fit when I had mistakenly used the butterfly hairpin instead of the ladybug one.” Derek smiled softly at Stiles. “And I am always willing to listen, even if there is nothing I can do, I’m always here if you need to talk.”

Stiles searched Derek’s eyes, wondering how green could be made up of that many colors, and started to reach out, not really sure what he was going to do.

“Daddy!” Ziva came running in, Peter trailing casually along behind her, “Look what we found in the park!” She held up a chrysalis.

For just a second, Derek wanted curse the fact that his daughter came at precise that moment and then he wanted to curl into a ball of shame for even thinking that. No matter how much he wanted to kiss Stiles, his daughter was the most important thing in his life. “Look at that honey, it’s beautiful.” He caught his baby girl in his arms and nuzzled her happily.

Peter just grinned and winked at Stiles.

Stiles scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger in Peter’s direction then found himself under the regard of big green eyes and two little hands thrusting the chrysalis out at him.

“Uncle Peter said it could hatch in the garden and then it’d come back when it wants to lay its eggs!”

He smiled and cupped his hands around hers, “I thiiiiink what we’ve got here is a California Sister butterfly in the making. They have to lay their eggs on oak leaves.”

“Oh...we don’t have a tree here...you do though! Daddy can I put the chrysalis in Mr. Stiles’ oak tree so it can hatch and lay its eggs there?” She twisted around to blink at him, “and Can I go over if it’s okay with you and him and check on it every day?”

“Just across the yard to Mr. Stiles’ garden?” Derek looked at Stiles and at the other man’s small nod he gave in. “It is fine with me Sweetpea. As long as it is okay for Mr. Stiles you can place your pretty pupa in Mr. Stiles’ oak tree and go over to check it.”

“Can I Mr. Stiles? Can I? Can I? Can I? Pleeeeease?”

Stiles chuckled, kissed the pad of his finger, and tapped the tip of her nose, “Of course you can Princess, and you may as well.” He winked, “Don’t let Miss Reyes hear you saying can instead of may, she gets scary.”

She giggled, “No she doesn’t. Can...May Daddy and I go put it in the tree now? You can talk to Uncle Peter til we get back. Cause you gotta finish your bear claw.”

“Sure thing sweetie.” Stiles wouldn’t have been able to keep the besotted grin off his face under any circumstances as Ziva pulled Derek away. Not even Peter’s smirking could chase it away. He did look at the man though and lift a brow, “Did you have something you wanted to say?”

“Nope, not a thing.” Peter just continued to smirk, pouring himself some coffee and raiding Derek’s cupboards for the good chocolate he knew his nephew had hidden in there somewhere. “I think your body language says it all, not to mention the happy in your pants.” Ah, there it was, Peter pulled out the chocolate and broke off a great big piece of it. “When you want to go for it for real, Laura and I would be happy to have Zippy over at the house so you can be as loud as you want to be.”

“Are you so interested in others’ love lives because you don’t have one of you own?” Stiles knew he wasn’t even half hard so he didn’t bother defending his attraction to Derek. “Or is this just a thing you do with people who show interest in Derek?”

"A little bit of both." Peter turned serious in the blink of an eye. "Derek has had two relationships in his whole life, one when he was fourteen and one at sixteen and both of them left him broken in ways that can never be mended so yes, I can be scary when it comes to him."

“You’re not scaring me and I approve of the glowing blue eyed glare by the way. I’m not...well I’m not going to say I won’t hurt Derek in any way because if we do get together there’s gonna be emotional bumps and bruises. Even Scott and Allison had those and you have seen how sickening they are. But I won’t deliberately hurt him and I won’t betray him.” Stiles nibbled on the bear claw, “Because I am already pretty damn entrenched in love with him and I don’t mind telling you Peter, it is fucking terrifying.” 

"Love is the scariest shit there is. That's why it's so precious when you finally truly find it." Peter replied, leaning against the counter. "And I'm not trying to scare you...if I didn't approve, believe me, you would know it. I'm just saying that Derek has more issues than I have snark. Don't let him push you away when he gets scared, please. I think you can make him happy."

“Oh believe me, I am the most stubborn little shit you’d ever meet. If I want something, if I think it’s worth it, I let nothing get in my way. And Derek and Ziva?” He looked out the window to where Ziva was on her father’s shoulder, stretching up to set the chrysalis in the lee of an oak branch, “More than worth all the effort I can muster. So it’s fucking terrifying but I’ve faced down crazy ass alphas without anything but sarcasm and a pane of glass, I can do terrifying.”

"Good." Peter left it at that, he had said what he wanted to say about Derek and Stiles now knew that he had Peter's full support. "So has Allison had that meeting with Chris yet?" Peter tried his best to sound nonchalant.

“Dude the man is _married_ , happily even which to me says mental damage considering his wife but whatever floats his boat. You’re asking for an asskicking looking in that direction,” Stiles took a bite of his bear claw, “But yes, Allison spoke with her dad, and literally smacked him on the head for thinking Scott might have hurt her.”

Peter smiled. “I can see her doing that.” He was aware that Chris was married, very, very aware. He was just as aware that Chris loved his wife. It didn’t make things easier for him though. “But he is aware of his grandchild being baked now though?”

“I have no idea. He hasn’t come after Scott with a shotgun yet so I’m doubtful. He’ll figure it out now after Allison assured him that she wasn’t getting mauled monthly,” Stiles was still watching Derek and Ziva who, having successfully planted the chrysalis, were walking back just as delicate snowflakes started drifting down. He smiled at the sight of Ziva holding her hands stretched high up to the clouds and laughing joyfully.

Shaking himself out of his own self pity, Peter turned his eyes on Stiles and really looked at him. Oh, oh yes. Stiles was already so in love, it shone through him as he watched Derek and Ziva through the window. It was clear that Stiles loved both of them and it made Peter happy that his family would be looked after. “Why don’t you go out to them, play in the snow?”

Stiles’ nodded absently and got up, patting Peter on the arm as he did, “Stay frosty, creepy man,” then he was running out to meet Derek and Ziva.

Peter watched Ziva light up when Stiles joined them and even from inside he could see her mouth running a mile a minute about something.

Jackson was back in the Stilinski house, pondering what he had heard. He’d gone to check why Stiles was taking so long over that the neighbors and he had heard everything Stiles told Derek Hale. Now he was wondering what to do about it. He didn’t like his alpha going around with all of that bottled up. He had to tell the pack about it, there was no other way, they needed to know.

\-----------------------------------------

Boyd sat back as the rest of the pack stared at Jackson. Stiles was out getting groceries with the Sheriff so it had apparently been the perfect time to spring this on all of them. Boyd considered it, considered what they knew about werewolves, and how little most of them could understand how it felt to be an alpha to a pack, whatever their composition. “I think...we’ve been stepping in it.”

Isaac nodded, worrying his fingers, trying not to bite on his nails. He was trying his best to kick that bad habit. “We have...all this time we have fought Stiles so hard on every little thing. Thinking we were helping, wanting to be here and we have just added to his stress, made things worse.” It made him feel like crying.

Allison took Isaac’s hand and squeezed, “I forget that Stiles isn’t as human as he looks because he’s so accommodating of our humanness. He lets us get away with challenging his authority like we did last night because he understands that we don’t have the instincts he, Scott, and Jackson do. Because he does I _forget_ that arguing with him over a decision made for the safety and happiness of the pack that I might think makes him sacrifice something is a challenge to his authority and his position.”

“He should have told us,” Lydia snapped, hiding her guilt behind indignation.

“I think he’s tried.” Erica replied softly, curling against Boyd. “He did try, all summer after the whole Alpha pack thing. None of us listened.” This was on all of them but they couldn’t blame Stiles for it. “Eventually, he stopped trying to keep us happy.”

“No,” Boyd shook his head, pulling her in close to him, “He’s never stopped trying to keep us happy. The way he pushed us all to go to college, this thing with not telling us about the interlopers and the outer wards, it’s all for our sakes. He just...doesn’t look for our opinions on it before hand anymore so he doesn’t have to fight so hard to make his final decision stick.”

Erica leaned against his solid form, soaking in his warmth. She felt horrible. “Poor Stiles.”

“He is not going to want our pity so you can stop that right away.” Jackson spoke up. “I didn’t tell you for that. I told you so we all know, so Stiles won’t have to have this rough conversation and so that we can change from here on out, make things easier for him and frankly for the whole pack I think.”

Lydia flopped down into a chair, crossing her legs, “Ugh deferring when my opinion differs from an ultimate decision,” she pulled out a nail file, “I suppose I can manage though.”

Allison smiled, “Of course you can. You’re capable of anything.”

“Our stunning genius.” Isaac agreed with a smile, even though there was still a knot in his stomach. 

Jackson just winked at her, Lydia was well aware of the admiration he felt for her. 

“Think he’ll get suspicious if we all pile on him as soon as he’s through the door?” Allison asked.

“Probably but I think we should do it anyway. Even with the movie night, we haven’t had a proper pile up since we got home.” Scott ran his hand over Allison’s hair. His wolf craved a good cuddle with his alpha and he could only imagined that Stiles felt the same way.

“We’re piling up on him,” Lydia declared just as the front door knob rattled and then the two Stilinski men were coming in.

“You’re getting a maple bacon wrapped christmas turkey this year, you can live with tofu for dinner.” Stiles proclaimed to his father, carrying a bag of groceries in.

“Not saying I can’t live with it, just that not even you can make tofu taste like anything. It’s like eating air.” John took the bag from his son and walked to the kitchen.

Isaac waited until John had taken the bag before jumping up from his seat and practically tackling Stiles to the floor, hugging him tight.

Stiles’ reaction was an initial yelp then sweeping his arms tight around Isaac, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I love you.” Isaac hugged tighter and was soon joined on the floor by Erica who kissed Stiles’ cheek before snuggling up against his back.

“Well I love you too but no, seriously,” he insisted as more of the pack glommed onto him and piled on, “What’s going on? Do I have to kill something?”

“No, nothing except perhaps our boredom later.” Jackson and Lydia joined the pile growing on the floor.

Scott pulled the pillows and cushions off the couch and made a proper little nest, herding everyone toward it before settling with his head on Stiles’ leg.

“We’re sorry Stiles.” Isaac looked up at him soulfully. “We didn’t understand.”

“Say what now?” Stiles’ brows were knotting together.

Allison sighed and kissed his shoulder, “Jackson overheard you talking to Derek.”

It was all that needed to be said. Stiles tensed then slumped before wiggling so they were officially in their puppy pile positions, “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Erica smiled against the back of Stiles’ neck and pressed her lips against the exposed skin, leaving a bright red lipstick mark behind. “We really are sorry Stiles, we will try to do better. To listen to what you’re telling us.”

Stiles ducked his head to hide his face in someone’s hair, not really sure who's, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Isaac managed to inch even closer. “Thank you for everything you do for us and for just being you.” 

John stood in the doorway, looking at the group of people on his floor. He pulled out his phone, snapped a photo and sent it to Melissa. “I’ll take care of dinner today, just stay where you are.”

“Sir, yes Sir,” Stiles made a vague hand flapping salute before cuddling Isaac under one arm, Allison under the other, “You guys are mine, it’s what I do. I mean I’m yours too but-”

“Shh,” Allison said, “We know now. It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

“We finally get it.” Erica agreed. “No need for more talk, commence with the cuddling.” She pressed closer to Stiles and pulled Boyd closer to her. Her feet were nudging Lydia and her hands reached across Stiles to caress Isaac’s side.

And that was it, was all he needed. He melted into the puppy pile with a smile.


	11. Chapter 11

He walked out of the gourmet food shop then paused as he saw his favorite dark hair, sexy werewolf frowning at a toy store window. Stiles decided to creep up behind Derek since he didn’t need to be home in time to make the roast for the ladies and their girls night for at least an hour, “You are looking surprisingly kidless today.” 

Derek didn’t jump a foot in the air with a yelp, he really, really didn’t. It might just seem like it. “Stiles! Hi! Yeah...Ziva is with Laura today.” He glared at the window again. “I am forced out to do my Christmas shopping.” 

Stiles’ lips twitched, “Oh? And what, my fine leather clad friend, is on the Princess’ letter to Santa wishlist?”

“Everything from a real princess dress, to a bow and a broadsword.” Derek looked lost. “What’s a _real_ princess dress? I get weapons more but I think I would be frowned upon if I gave my eight year old a sharp edged sword.”

He had to laugh, leaning on Derek’s shoulder as he snitched the paper from the werewolf’s hand, reading the letter, “There are actually practice blades made for kids, dull edges and rounded tips and hmmm, yeeeeeah you are probably not going to find any of this in there,” he angled his head at the toy store.

“I sort of suspected as much.” Derek’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t have a clue where to find anything she wants though. I have such a weird kid.” Ziva didn’t like toys, not the mass produced plastic kind. She never played with dolls and such. It was all about animals, crafting, fairies, wolves and the like.

“How are your sewing skills?” At the horrified look on Derek’s face he shook with stifled laughter, “Oh God sorry. Not good then. Okay first stop, Loverty’s. C’mon Big Bad,” Stiles pulled him along the street.

Derek let himself be dragged along. He was just insanely happy to have any sort of help. He didn’t want to disappoint Ziva come Christmas. He never wanted to see her sad. “Loverty’s, where we got her backpack?”

“That’s the place. She does more than just backpacks and coin purses, you just need to ask for it,” his smile was encouraging, “Lala will be happy to take a commission to make a real princess dress for Ziva.”

“Really? That would be amazing.” A custom made princess dress that was one of a kind, that would be a wonderful gift and Ziva would love it. “I praise you Stiles, sing your praises to the sky for saving me from coming home with some tacky costume dress.”

“Praise Lala, not me. I’m just going to be dragging you around town for an hour, directing you to where you can get the vital things on your list,” Stiles swung the door to the shop open, “Lala! Got a custom for you!”

The old woman poked her head out, took in Derek, and brought a notepad out with her, “What’s doing then boy?”

Derek was still a little...not scared but in awe of the ancient looking lady and he squirmed in place a little. “My daughter wants a princess dress.” 

She looked at Stiles, “Man doesn’t have a clue does he?”

Stiles just smiled, “Keep it as simple as you can, she’s a Merida in activity.”

Lala just chuckled and peered at Derek again, “What’s her size?”

Derek rattled off her size and agreed with Stiles about keeping it simple. “She’s not one for a lot of ruffles and lace and sh...stuff. But she still wants to look pretty and feel like a princess, a princess of the warrior kind. Someone who can rule the country and kick all the butt she might need to...but still be the prettiest princess.”

“A regular Xena then,” Lala drawled, “Favorite colors? Or is she an all colors girl?”

“All colors, her room as painted as the rainbow.” Derek smiled at Lala, still marveling at her, wondering if she really was a witch, she certainly looked like one.

The woman nodded, “Alright, I’ll have a dress done up in time for you to wrap it and stuff it under the tree. Now shoo. I don’t doubt there’s a hefty list for you to cross off.”

“Thank you very much Ma’am. Really I can’t thank you enough, you are a life saver.” Derek swooped in and kissed the back of her hand, giving her a real, honest smile. 

She snorted and pointed at the door, “Save those lips for Grim boy. Get going,” then she was off into the back again, leaving two blushing men behind.

Derek scratched behind his ear and gave Stiles an almost shy look before losing his nerve. He had thought about leaning in for an actual kiss but he didn’t dare when it came down to it. “Um, am I keeping you from something or may I command your time for a little longer?” He waved the list in front of Stiles and himself.

“Like I said, you’ve got me for an hour. Betcha I can get you home in half that,” he winked at Derek as he backed out of the store, “What’s next?”

“Still a few things for Zippy but those I think I can get on my own now that the big one is done. But...Laura...I have no idea what to get Laura.” Derek made a face.

“Laura? Dude she’s your sister, you’ve got to know some of the stuff she coos over?”

“I know what makes her coo, I do but she is a horror to shop for. The things she wants the most, she’s already gotten them for herself over the internet.” Derek chewed in his bottom lip. “She doesn’t wear jewelry. I suppose I could make her something but her house is full of furniture made by me already.”

“She collect anything? Cheesy snowglobes? Ugly ornaments? ashtrays shaped like Abe Lincoln's ass?”

“Does anyone really know what Abe Lincoln’s ass was shaped like though, I mean he always wore those knee length coats...hard to get a good look at the booty.” Derek grinned. “Do weapons count? Oh and ugly ducks.”

“Ugly ducks?” Stiles cocked his head, “Like actual feathered fiends or figures?”

“Figures.” Derek cackled at the thought of Laura herding ducks around the woods. “All sort of figures, toys, pictures and such. The uglier and more ridiculous the duck is, the more Laura treasures it.”

“And that’s not something you can always find off the net. The local thrift shop it is,” he bumped his shoulder into Derek’s lightly, “Oh hey did I tell you that Jackson overheard us the other day?”

“No, no you haven’t told me that.” Derek gave Stiles a concerned look. “How did that go?” Stiles didn’t seem upset but one never knew. Derek had learnt enough to know that Stiles was excellent at hiding the things he didn’t want anyone to see.

“He told the pack while dad and I were out and I came home to be buried under contrite human puppies, as well as Jackson and Scott. It was...good. A load off really.”

“That’s good.” Derek let out a breath of relief, happy it hadn’t been a huge fight for Stiles. “I’m glad, one less thing you have to worry about having to deal with.”

“It’s not really like I’m plagued with worries though.” Stiles shrugged, “but yeah it was good. Means I can maybe kick a little writer’s block to the curb.”

“Writer’s block?” Derek looked at him curiously. “You write? I thought you were a coder? What do you write? Or is it rude to ask?” 

“Nah, ask away. I am a coder, because it is a job I can do freelance and from home that pays the bills damned well. I’m also a writer, unpublished. And don’t laugh but I write fairy tales.”

“Why would I laugh? That’s amazing.” Derek was impressed and intrigued. “What sort of fairy tales do you write? Fables? Traditional ones? Brand new take on the classics? I really wish to know. Oh dear lord...tell Zippy about it and she will never let you go.”

“You sound like you think I’d consider that a _bad_ thing,” Stiles was grinning, “I’ve actually already translated and am in the process of illustrating a bunch of Polish tales my Mom told me. But the writing, I’m sort of warping what’s real into tales of princesses saving themselves and the silly knights of her court from the villains.”

“Amazing, really amazing.” Derek hadn’t thought it was possible for him to respect and like Stiles more than he already did but this proved he could. “And good for those princesses, why should they need someone to save them? I like what you are doing very, very much.”

Stiles had to stop, right there, in the middle of the sidewalk, because the _look_ on Derek’s face, that amazed, almost excited, and proud look was for _him_. For what he poured out onto paper and docx format at midnight or later even though he hadn’t yet seen it. This fucking incredible man was looking at him like _that_. Stiles couldn’t have helped himself if a rabid dog had been biting him in the ass right now, “You...” he stepped closer, one hand lifting to lay on Derek’s leather clad shoulder, “I’m sorry if this isn’t anything you’re interested in, you can punch me after but,” he tilted his head just a smidge and slotted his mouth against Derek’s.

Derek stiffened for a moment, he could hardly believe this was happening, this that he had dreamt about for a long time now. Before Stiles could take it as rejection he surged in and kissed back, pressing his lips against Stiles’ warm ones. 

And okay yes, that might have been a squeak of surprise but it was followed very quickly by a soft, welcoming half-moan and his hand tightening on the leather covered shoulder. He moved his mouth against Derek’s, still aware that they were in public so he kept the kiss to lips only but considering the soft, perfect shape of derek’s lips against his it wasn’t a real big loss.

Right now, Derek didn’t feel the need to deepen the kiss or grope at Stiles. This, this soft touching of lips were just perfect all on its own. He reached up and cupped Stiles’ jaw, cupping it and rubbing the sharp edge of a cheekbone before reluctantly pulling away before Stiles’ father would be called. “How could you ever think I didn’t want this? I have thought of little else since you helped me shop for school supplies.”

“I’m an alpha Inferno, not a mind reader?” Stiles replied with a soft smile.

“According to Laura, you don’t have to be a mind reader to notice how completely gone on you I am. She has laughed at me for weeks and weeks now. About me pining.” Derek grinned sheepishly.

Stiles slid his hand down Derek’s arm to offer to tangle their fingers together, “If it makes you feel better, Scott knew from _over the phone_ how I felt about you. Without me saying a word about it.”

“That does make me feel a little better actually.” He laced his fingers with Stiles and squeezed his hand. “Though not as good as this makes me feel.” he looked down at their joined hands.

The only word for Stiles’ grin at that was blinding. “C’mon, let’s find you that perfect gift for your sister, knock out the rest of your list, then I can drag you back and show you how to incorporate cocoa into venison before everyone descends.”

“Sounds like an excellent idea.” Derek smiled and followed Stiles happily, holding on to his hand. He liked the others but he didn’t mind spending just a little more time alone with Stiles. “Also...I know you are busy with your pack and such but...could I possibly take you out on a date sometime?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Stiles developed a slight bounce in his step, “I may, possibly, have been contemplating how to ask you out recently.”

“Is that so?” This time, Derek’s smile was just on the right side of flirty. “Well at least something I beat you to then.” He felt very proud to walk down the street side by side with Stiles Stilinski. “Anything you would prefer for a dating activity and anything I should avoid?”

“Nothing with extended time outdoors right now, I don’t run like you when it comes to body temperature unfortunately,” Stiles’ grin was sultry, “You are hot, hot, hot. Other than that...no bowling. Ever. Everything else is fair game.”

“Good to know, and I second the no bowling rule.” Derek did not blush at being called hot, no sirree, even though it only had to do with body temperature. “I have bowled exactly once and then I broke the lane.”

Stiles laughed as he pulled Derek into the local thrift shop, “How did you manage that?”

“I don’t even know.” Derek shook his head. “I kind of used the bowling ball like a cannonball and the floor of the lane just...splintered. Mom was furious and I had to work at that damned bowling alley for free for a year to pay for the repairs.”

Stiles squeezed his hand, “You were still learning about your strength. I’m kind of...liking imagining you there, looking a little sheepish, maybe chewing on your lip with those adorable bunny teeth you passed on to Ziva...okay yeah I like this mental image.”

“Bunny teeth?” Derek did his best to look scandalized. “I am pretty sure there’s an insult in there somewhere.” He ran his tongue over his slightly long front teeth.

“Is it still an insult when I say I’ve had very inappropriate thoughts about your teeth, nibbling, and distinctive bitemarks?”

Those very teeth sunk into Derek’s bottom lip as he looked over at Stiles, eyes darkening. “Not such an insult then no...more like something I wouldn’t mind converting into reality at some point.”

Stiles’ tongue flicked out over his lips, his eyes dark as the pupils dilated, “Well I have and God I hope you’ll fulfill that particular fantasy sometime soon.”

Derek sucked in a breath. “God, you can’t tell me things like this in a public setting.” Derek was minutes away from dragging Stiles into a bathroom or a changing room and put his bunny teeth to good use. He distantly wondered if Stiles could smell his arousal.

He could. The chest wolf didn’t grant him senses near as good as Jackson’s or Scott’s but heightened them enough that he absolutely could smell his effect on Derek. He turned and cupped Derek’s jaw with his free hand, “Sorry. My mouth gets away from me sometimes,” he scraped his thumb over the stubble, “Not trying to be a cocktease.”

Derek leaned into Stiles' hand. "I didn't think you were trying to be a tease. It's simply that I've dreamt about you for so long now that I'm kind of on a hair trigger here." He didn't feel embarrassed to admit that. Derek hadn't been a monk for eight years, he'd had some hookups in NYC but none of them had mattered, Stiles mattered. He mattered so much.

Stiles gave him a teeny, tiny smile and leaned in to rub the tip of his nose against Derek’s, “It’s kinda mutual, hence the runaway mouth. But I’ll behave now.”

A throat cleared from behind them, “Stilinski you mind? You and your boyfriend are kind of blocking the road.”

He jolted a little bit then dropped his hand from Derek’s cheek, keeping the fingers of the other twined with the werewolf’s as he moved, “Greenburg, always nice to see you in town.” The tone of his voice said the exact opposite of his words as the man who’d spoken, and was now flipping Stiles the bird, walked past them to the appliances. 

Derek frowned as he watched the other man leave. Something about that guy rubbed him the wrong way, made his hackles rise. "Who was that?"

“Eh just an old teammate from highschool. Name’s Greenburg. He’s harmless, he just doesn’t like being reminded that the eternal bench warmer is more successful at life in general than he is,” Stiles pulled Derek with him to the tchochkes section.

"Ah, I've met my share of those." Derek nodded in understanding, glad there didn't seem to be any worse kind of history between Stiles and the other man. "So where are you leading me now?"

“We’re looking for ducks remember? So we’re in the little knickknack section. Seeing if they have a particularly ugly duck that will make Laura a happy girl,” his thumb trailed up and down the side of Derek’s hand as he looked over rows and rows of horrible ceramic and glass figures.

Derek laughed at some figured and shuddered at others, wondering how some of them could have ever been made in the first place. Right now, he wouldn't despair if he didn't find a duck, not while he got to spend more time with Stiles. He wrinkled his nose at the clown section of the figures, Derek really couldn't stand clowns, they were creepier than any monster.

Stiles laughed like a loon at a truly _horrible_ wolf figurine with crossed red eyes, a streaky green and brown paint job, and purple claws, “You could get her that,” he said with an evil grin, “Everyone loves a gag gift.”

"Yeah...no." Derek shook his head vehemently though his eyes shone with amusement. "I like where my throat is thank you very much, I don't fancy it being ripped out." If it made Stiles laugh though, then perhaps Derek should get it for him, to put inside the chest he was making for Stiles.

“I’d keep you intact,” Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand, “I pretty much like your everything right where it is. But moving on from the derp alpha figure, ah-ha!” Stiles plucked a noxious dirty yellow duck up. The color was horrifying, it was carrying a sword under one wing, had a teeny knights helmet on top of its head, saggy leg warmers, and cockeyed pupils painted on a funky green iris, “Does this say Laura to you?”

"Oh fuck...that's the ugliest duck I have seen in my life. She's gonna love it!" Derek cackled and made grabby hands toward the ugly thing, making a mental note to return for the horrible wolf figure at a later date. "Thank you, I would never have found this on my own."

Stiles grinned and handed the hideous thing over, “You’re very welcome. Who else are you stumped on, because Peter would look lovely in that,” he pointed, with a wicked smirk, at a pair of reindeer printed feetie pajamas for adults so well washed and faded that the red had become pink over time, “Or maybe the vomit green velvet jumpsuit is more his style?”

Derek snickered, imagining his uncle in any of the garments Stiles had suggested. Dear god, Peter would have a brain bleed just at the sight of them. It almost made Derek want to get them just for that reaction. "Nah, Peter is easy...in more ways than one but still easy. Just give him a book. This year I've found a first edition of Sherlock Holmes."

“Oh hubba hubba,” Stiles chuckled at Derek’s eyebrow language, “I am actually a book nerd, just not a ‘need the oldest there is’ kind of book nerd. I just like reading, whatever the medium.” He walked with Derek to the counter so the other man could pay for the duck. “Though if I find a rare issue variant cover of a favorite comic book people get to witness a fangasm to end all fangasms.”

"Okay, important question...one that can define our whole relationship." Derek turned very serious...at least he tried to keep a stern face. “Marvel or DC?"

“Well I do love me some Batman and Wonder Woman, don’t get me wrong, but Marvel. _So_ much Marvel. I mean it used to be a _really_ hard choice, if I had to make one, but these days....not so much.”

Derek practically beamed, very, very pleased with Stiles's answer. "Hallelujah, there is hope!" He flung his arms out and did a little dance, well aware that he probably looked ridiculous.

He did but he also looked beautiful, that _smile_. Stiles grabbed the lapel of Derek’s jacket and pulled him in for a brief kiss. Just a short slide of lips together before he backed off, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

"Believe me, you _never_ have to apologize for kissing me. I would be more sad if you didn't kiss me whenever you feel like it." Derek smiled brilliantly and reached for Stiles' hand again. Tugging him along to pay for the butt ugly duck. "Help me finish off the rest of the items on Zippy's list and I'll help you with your errands if you'd like."

“I’m done with my errands but you can help me cook when we get back if you want,” he went along happily, heart tapping out a cheerful rhythm.

"Yeah, yeah I would like that very much." Derek nodded with a smile. It was cheesy but he was in love and holding the hand of the man he was in love with, it made him feel like he was walking on air.

\---------------------------------------

A few hundred miles away in a dirty gas station bathroom, a man’s body hit the ground with a dull thunk, his neck at an impossible angle. The woman who’d killed him made quick work of stripping him down and exchanging her orange jumpsuit with his clothes, made sure she had his keys, cell phone, and money, tucked her honey blond hair all up under his trucker hat as she snugged it onto her head, and strode out like a woman with a purpose.

Which she was.

She had a purpose and as she got into the semi’s cab, her lips curled up in anticipation of that purpose. She pulled out onto the highway and headed for Beacon Hills California where she’d destroy the spawn she’d been foolish enough to gestate to use as bait and the spawn’s sire as well as the rest of the monsters who lived in Beacon Hills.


	12. Chapter 12

Ziva’s happy squeal had Stiles jumping in Derek’s arms, and his cheeks going bright red at having been caught before they’d told her.

“Daddy you were kissing Mr. Stiles!”

Derek felt a little like he had been caught with his pants down, despite that he and Stiles had only kissed, not even very heatedly. Ziva’s squee, proved that she didn’t mind that he had been kissing Stiles though, not that Derek had been worried about that. He knew that Ziva adored Stiles. “Indeed I was, until your screech scared his lips away from mine.” His lips twitched at his baby girl’s expression.

She stamped her foot, “I did not screech!”

Stiles scoffed, “Oh yes you did Princess, like a baby pterodactyl. It was a good kiss too,” he sighed forlornly, then laughed when Ziva jumped onto his back with a puppy growl, arms around his neck, and it pressed him harder against Derek.

“So kiss Daddy again!”

“You can’t order someone to kiss Zippy. It can make them feel uncomfortable.” Derek shook his head but leaned in and brushed his lips over Stiles’ again as he reached behind Stiles and tweaked his daughter’s nose. 

She giggled and tightened her arms around Stiles’ neck, surprised when he didn’t make the choking noise even her Uncle Peter made when she held on too tight, “You like like Mr. Stiles Daddy?”

“I do.” Derek nodded, knowing that Ziva could track his heartbeat, that she could hear it skip a beat even thinking about Stiles. “I like Stiles a whole lot.” 

Stiles’ flush crept down his neck with pleasure even as he beamed at Derek, “Before you ask Princess Ziva, I like like your Daddy a whole lot too.”

She nodded, “Okay then,” and dropped from Stiles’ back, “Uncle Peter is making Mr. Scott turn green in the living room.”

“What’s he doing now?” Derek sighed and stepped back from Stiles with regret and walked to the living room to see if he needed to do some damage control before Scott snapped. Knowing Peter, Derek couldn’t even blame him. 

Of course by the time they got into the living room Peter was sitting affably in his own seat and the only clue Stiles could find to a potential kerfluffle was the way his best friend was practically in a very _amused_ Isaac’s lap, “What did you do Peter?”

“Me?” Peter’s eyes turned very large and very blue. “I haven’t a clue what you could be talking about. I just came to return my niece to her father.”

Scott groaned and Isaac snickered softly. “He told Scott you and Derek might add some extra salt and protein to the food.”

Scott made a hulking sound and burrowed against Isaac.

Stiles rolled his eyes, “Really? You really think we’d...no wait this is you Scott. The pretend imagery alone is enough to make you green. We were just kissing. And you,” he pointed at Peter, “You are a sick, sick puppy. What did you download Natural Harvest or something?”

Boyd actually snickered wildly into his hand. That book had made the rounds as a literal gag gift among their group for _years_. 

“Download no, have it in hardcover...well of course I do. There are some good recipes in there.” Peter checked his nails before polishing them against his cashmere sweater. “Why do you think Derek’s frostings taste so good?”

Scott groaned miserably again. 

“Shut up Peter.” Derek rolled his eyes.

“I think Derek would slaughter you if you got anywhere near his cooking, and I _know_ he wouldn’t do that to his own baked goods, because his daughter, who is in the room oh uncensored one, swipes treats,” Stiles beaned Peter on the head with a piece of balled up paper, “Stop trying to gross my best friend out. Allison will notice eventually over their bond, she’ll get antsy, girl night will be interrupted, and then it will be a toss up as to which of the ladies will kill you first.” He moved to ruffle Scott’s hair and tweak one of Isaac’s curls.

“Not my fault he lets himself get riled up.” Peter was completely unapologetic. “I would understand it if it was one of your humans Stiles but the fact that a wolf would allow himself to get so upset about something he would be able to smell if it was actually there...Well it makes me fear for the continuation of his gene pool quite frankly. It is a good thing the mother to be is smart.”

Scott grumbled and if there hadn’t been a child in the room, he would have said a few choice words.

“Uncle Peter you’re being mean,” Ziva went and frowned up at him, “What’d Mr. Scott ever do to you? He’s super nice, like _Barbie_ nice.”

Boyd’s grin was echoed by Isaac’s truly evil laughter and drowned out by Jackson’s delighted cackles.

Scott wasn’t sure whether he should be insulted or not about being called Barbie nice. All he knew about Barbie was that she was anatomically impossible and had very white teeth and large hair. 

“I am sorry Zippy. I was just teasing a little. Scott is family or he will be soon enough anyway.” 

“Teasing can go too far,” she was still frowning up at him, “If he looks like he’s gonna throw up it’s too far,” her nod was regal and sharp and she went to press the play button on the DVD player, starting Treasure Planet again.

Stiles just beamed at her, “Atta girl.”

Derek nodded. “Good girl Ziva, that’s exactly how it is.” He turned to his uncle. “And you should apologize to Scott or go home. I can’t recall Stiles inviting you to stay.”

“I am sorry for teasing you Scott.” Peter both looked and sounded overly sincere, proving he didn’t mean it at all.

“It’s okay, I know you senior citizens need to get your kicks any way you can before you fall asleep in the early bird special.” Scott stayed snuggled to Isaac.

Stiles snickered, “Awww Scotty I’m so proud. I’ve taught you well,” he gave Scott’s cheek a smacking kiss, getting a disgusted sound in return before he went back to where Derek was standing, “So what were we getting from the kitchen again?”

“I don’t really remember.” Derek had mostly pulled Stiles out there for a chance to kiss him silly. Now that he knew his feelings were reciprocated, he couldn’t keep his hands or lips away from Stiles for very long. 

“Drinks...you were getting drinks.” Isaac reminded them softly, carding his fingers through Scott’s dark hair.

“Right, well let’s grab those real quick then,” Stiles ducked back into the kitchen, grabbing a drink caddy and several drinks, beer for those who liked and were old enough for it, whiskey for Peter, sodas for the rest, and a glass of milk for Ziva. He turned, finding Derek close behind him, nipped at his chin, then slid his way past and into the living room as Captain Amelia was meeting Dr, Doppler.

“Dr. Doppler was the one who carried their babies.” Scott offered and helped himself to a beer as Stiles rolled the drink caddy close enough.

“Scott, have you been on tumblr again?” Isaac asked with laughter in his voice.

“As a matter of fact yes. It is very informative.” Scott sniffed.

Stiles chuckled, “Babies on the brain man. But Scott’s right, Disney did confirm that,” he waited patiently for Derek to find a place to settle himself down and then very happily wedged himself right next to the man, “Which is a kind of sad thing that they left it out but they are a business and the One Million Moms organization,” disdain dripped from that, “do so love to get their petticoats rustled.”

Derek wrapped one arm around Stiles and nodded. “I wonder if they sit sifting through movies, books and the internet in search of something to get upset over. To me they seem to have very empty, very sad lives.” 

“I agree, I mean in this movie, they are both animals and aliens but a dude having a baby...that’s the upsetting part...makes no sense to me.” Isaac shook his head.

“Social constructs are a mess,” Boyd nodded, “And gender stereotypes are-”

“Shhhh!” Ziva glared over her shoulder, “You’re talking over the movie!”

Stiles hid his grin in Derek’s shoulder, enjoying the warmth that the man radiated.

“Don’t mess with Ziva during movie time.” Derek whispered to Stiles. It didn’t matter that she knew every line of the movie by heart, talking during her watching time was a big no no.

Isaac was surprised by the force of that glare and he sipped his beer in silence from there on out.

Stiles whispered back, “Well there are better things to do than talk really,” and pressed a kiss to the very corner of Derek’s mouth, stubble scraping against his lips.

“Very true.” Derek put his bottle down on the table in front of them and focused on kissing and nuzzling Stiles to the best of his abilities. 

Scott and Isaac both became very invested in the movie, not looking anywhere but at the tv screen.

Boyd just sipped at his beer, smiling and subtly recording them on his phone. He was glad to see their alpha finally hooked up with someone who made him happy. Of course he had to share the love and sent the video to Erica.

\------------------------------------

Lydia barely glanced up from where she was delicately painting Allison’s toes when Erica made a wild squeal, “So what’s got you thrilled?”

“I knew it, I so knew it but I didn’t think either of them would get their asses out of the wagon so soon. I thought there would be a lot more pining all around.” Erica cackled and stood to do a wild shimmy across the floor before plopping back down, shoving her phone at the others so they could see the miracle taking place for themselves.

Laura jolted to a sitting position and her pterodactyl screech closely resembled her niece’s as she made a grab for the phone, “Oh my God they’re actually kissing...forget kissing that is genuine making out,” she didn’t even complain when Lydia snatched the phone from her, instead she set her chocolate cupcake down and literally rolled around on the floor in happiness, “Look at them! Derek looks so happy,” she stopped rolling, sat back up and went shiny eyed, “My brother looks _happy_. Oh God where are the tissues?”

Allison had her head bent together with Lydia, smiling softly at the video. Both men looked happy and her heart almost swelled to see Stiles looking like that.

Erica squirmed her way down to Laura and handed her a box of tissues. She understood how the other woman felt because she felt the same way, seeing Stiles practically glow with happiness. It had been much, much too long since he’d looked like that and if anyone deserved happiness, it was Stiles Stilinski. 

Laura pulled several tissues out of the box, wiping at her eyes, “I am giving Stiles the biggest fucking hug tomorrow. I haven’t seen that smile on Derek’s face in almost _nine_ years.” She sniffled into the tissues, “Not since that goddamned she-demon used him, killed our family, and left him a burnt out shell.”

Lydia exchanged a look with Allison and together they scooted over to wrap Laura up in a hug, “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Stiles smile like that myself. I didn’t pay attention to him until I started finding dead people.”

“And I didn’t know him until after Scott was bitten so I’ve never seen that sort of smile from him either,” Allison said.

Erica agreed softly. “I don’t think Stiles has smiled that way before, he’s grown now, a strong man who knows what he wants and he wants Derek...and it looks like your brother wants him back.” Erica didn’t bring Kate up, not the fact that she was Allison’s aunt or that she was in jail. This was a time to be happy, not anything else. “It’s looking like it’s going to be a very merry Christmas this year.”

Laura leaned her head on Allison’s shoulder, she never forgot that Allison was an Argent, but it wasn’t important. Not when Allison truly loved her werewolf and defended him, “Best in recent memory,” she looked at the phone again, seeing Derek kiss the bridge of Stiles’ nose and grin with those ridiculous bunny teeth of his and knew that coming back to Beacon Hills was the best damned decision she’d ever made.


	13. Chapter 13

Stiles finished scanning in the final illustration and grinned as he printed out a draft of the translated folk tales. They weren’t _his_ in the way the stories of Princess Pease were but they’d been passed down from his mother, and the illustrations were all his so he was proud of it.

While waiting for it to print he clicked over to his e-mail and saw one from Ethan with the subject of ‘Approaching Danger’ and felt the happy mood he’d been in drop away. “Shit.” He clicked on the e-mail and his blood ran _cold_. He grabbed his phone and dialed the last of the Alpha Pack, “Gallagher what in the hell am I reading?”

“Hello to you as well Stilinski.” Ethan sighed over the phone. “So you’ve read the mail then? I don’t know how to make it clearer than I already wrote you. My contacts found out that Kate Argent has escaped from prison. The body of a dead trucker was found not far from the prison as well as an orange prison jumpsuit. The last signs are that she’s heading toward your town.”

“Sonuva fucking butt munching camel toed snake eyed cess pool licking bauerschwein,” Stiles lashed his foot out at a sturdy trunk in his bedroom that bore plenty of dents from similar displays of temper, “Thank you for the heads up.” And he hung up to call his Dad.

“What’s up son?” John answered as he sat on watch on one of the speed traps just outside town. He was bored bored bored and wouldn’t mind killing some time talking with Stiles.

“Gallagher e-mailed me and I need you to double check what he said,” Stiles was getting his jacket on and grabbing his keys as he spoke. This wasn’t anything to sit around on his ass for, “He said Kate Argent broke out of prison.”

“What?” John frowned and started the car, driving back to the station. “We should have gotten a notice straight away since this is where she committed her crime.” Things were finally going so well, Stiles was happy and he didn’t want anything to ruin that. “I’m on my way back to the station to check it out.”

“Good. I’m going to go talk to Chris. I don’t think he knows, he’d have told me if he did, but she wouldn’t contact him anyway and he needs to know,” Stiles got into his Jeep.

“Be careful Stiles.” John didn’t want his son hurt. “I’ll call you as soon as I have any solid information.” John didn’t want this to be true, he had grown to love Ziva and Derek too and this had the potential to destroy them.

“Thanks,” Stiles hung up, jaw creaking in anger, his chest wolf roaring and clawing, wanting its way out, demanding he protect Derek and Ziva. He knew his eyes were glowing red but at this point he couldn’t calm down enough to make them stop. He dialed Derek’s number. He wouldn’t tell him about Kate over the phone but he still wanted to make sure he was okay and somewhere _safe_.

It took a while for Derek to hear the phone, he was busy in his workshop, putting the finishing touches on the chest he was making for Stiles as a Christmas present. When he finally saw who was calling, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He slid his finger along the screen, answering. “Stiles! Just the person I was thinking of.”

Stiles felt everything in him want to curl up and cry, because Derek sounded so _happy_ thinking about him and he was probably about to ruin that and he _hated_ it. “Hey,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “What are you up to?”

“What’s wrong?” Derek could hear it in just the way Stiles breathed, something had happened. “What has happened? Where are you? Do you need me to come?” He gripped the phone tighter, all pleasant thoughts scattered and replaced by worry.

“No!” Stiles breathed in slow and tried to get a grip on himself, enough to keep a gentle tone, “No. I...I can’t tell you over the phone. I’m still waiting on confirmation but...it’s bad if it’s true. So please, Derek, I need you and Ziva to be somewhere safe until I can get to you and tell you in person.”

“Stiles please, please just tell me.” Derek pleaded now. “You are scaring me, are you in trouble?” If something bad was coming, then Derek wanted Stiles where it was safe as well. He couldn’t imagine leaving Stiles to fend for himself to hide where it was safe.

“No. I’m not but,” Stiles’ hands tightened on the steering wheel, “I don’t want to tell you until I’m there, until I can be there for you, because you’re in danger if what I just learned is true, you and Ziva and Laura and Peter and Scott and Allison are especially in danger, Jackson and Lydia in secondary danger. Probably me but who expects a human alpha?”

“Ziva is at school.” Derek’s stomach was knotted tight and he had to stop himself from shifting. “Should I go get her?” He hated not knowing what was going on, if something was threatening them then Derek wanted to know what or who it was so he could stand up to it. He couldn’t fight shadows and fears. 

“How much longer will she be there? I shouldn’t be more than a half hour. She’ll be safe until school lets out,” because even Kate Argent wouldn’t attack an elementary school. She was insane but she was tactically intelligent and trying to take Ziva or kill Ziva at school wouldn’t be a good tactical move. As far as Kate knew they were unaware of her approach and she wouldn’t want to tip them off just yet, if she were here. Which she wasn’t. His outer wards hadn’t been tripped yet.

“She’s out in fifteen minutes. I’ll go pick her up and then go over to Laura and Peter, the new house is practically a fortress...after what happened to the other house. Will that be okay, safe enough?” Derek paced the floor of his workshop, agitation tingling beneath his skin, making him itch all over, inside and out.

Stiles considered then made a decision, “There are stones under over turned pots at each corner of my house, take them with you, place them at the corners of the new house,” Stiles wanted to pull Derek close, “I haven’t felt my outer wards trip so I’m probably overreacting but...I need to know you and Ziva are as safe as possible and I don’t know anything about Laura’s protections on the new house. I _do_ know about my protection stones. Once set up at each corner it’ll take a mage to force their way inside.”

“But won’t that leave your home defenseless?” Derek couldn’t have that. Not when he didn’t know what was going on. “Come to the house when you are done with what you’re doing, bring your pack...if something is going on then we are safer if we are all in one place. Please Stiles, do this for me.”

“I will. Watch your back Derek. I’ll be there soon enough,” he pulled into the Argent driveway, “I’ve got to go. I’m at my first stop. I’ll be with you in thirty or I’ll call.”

“Make sure that you do.” Derek nodded, not wanting to hang up, lose the connection of Stiles’ voice but he knew that he had to. “Be safe.” 

“You too,” Stiles disconnected gently and got out to knock on the door.

Chris answered, and eyed him like he was a wild tiger, “What brings the human alpha of Beacon Hills to my house today?”

“A problem. May I come in?” Stiles tucked his phone into his pocket.

“Victoria’s here,” Chris stepped aside though, letting Stiles have a clear path inside.

“That’s fine. She’ll probably want to know too. You know your wife doesn’t like me and dear God the feeling is mutual but despite their estrangement she loves Allison,” Stiles stepped inside, positive that wherever in the house Victoria Argent was, she was hearing this, “and I was just told something that will have Allison in danger along with the non-human citizens of our sleepy little town.”

“What will put my daughter in danger?” Victoria swept in, disdain clear on her face as she watched Stiles but there was worry underneath her usual above it all mask. She didn’t like the human alpha, the abomination being in her home, but if her daughter really was in danger, then she wanted to know why and how she could stop the threat. Because of that she would lower herself enough to listen to what the mutt lover was saying.

“An informant of mine let me know that Kate’s broken out of prison and was last seen heading in the direction of Beacon Hills. My dad is double checking the first part of that information.” 

Chris’ expression went hard, “If she knows about Allison’s relationship with McCall she’ll go after her,” and he refused to even think about the horror Kate would visit on his baby girl if she learned of Allison’s pregnancy.

Victoria wrapped her arms around herself. She had always been of the mind that Kate had been imprisoned unjustly. That she shouldn’t have been punished so harshly for what she did, it was the right thing to do after all. But if Kate did find out that Allison had chosen an animal over her own family. Kate wouldn’t show any mercy, Victoria wouldn’t either if it had been anyone other than her only child.

Stiles nodded, “So if she contacts you,” he looked at Chris, “Which I don’t think she will, let me know. And if she contacts you,” he looked at Victora and snorted softly, “Well I’m just going to hope that you love your daughter more than you hate werewolves. She’s supposedly stolen the semi of a man she killed in a gas station bathroom but she’ll ditch it as soon as she’s close enough I think. I haven’t felt anything cross my wards but when I do, I’ll tell you Chris.”

He nodded and went to wrap an arm around Victoria’s shoulders, “Thank you for telling us. I’ll let you know anything I find out.”

Stiles just gave a half salute and walked out of the Argent house. He had another two stops to make before going to the new Hale house.

Victoria watched him leave, standing still and leaning into her husband for just a moment before straightening her spine. “Alright, I am going to get on the phone with the hunter guild, I doubt it but Kate could reach out to some of her old contacts to get money, weapons and supplies. I am going to put some feelers out, see if anyone has heard from her.” She walked to her office and closed the door behind her. If it wasn’t for Allison she would welcome Kate with open arms, help her burn the whole fucking town down if it would get rid of the furry plague once and for all.

Chris knew that but he also knew his wife held Allison even above her personal creed so in this, for once since Allison had met McCall, he’d trust his wife’s privacy.

\-----------------------------------------

Stiles had already called all of his pack members and told them to get their asses to Scott’s house. It was the only place he had warded even more extensively than his own home. Which was going to change but for right now he had more important things to do. He was driving down the gravel road to the Hale house when his phone played his Dad’s ringtone, “So am I overreacting for a genuine reason or am I going to have to apologize to Derek for scaring him?”

There was a pregnant pause. “Not overreacting, Kate has escaped, and the body count she’s left behind is up to four. She killed a fellow inmate and took her spot in the laundry, that was how she got out. Then it was the trucker, after that she killed and robbed a college student at an ATM and lastly a mother on her way to pick up her children at practice to get her clothes and her car.” 

Stiles’ expression went flat and cold, “I know you have problems with it but if I see her I am taking her down with intent to kill. Don’t be alone anywhere Dad. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have lines anymore that she won’t cross.”

“Stiles, I would hold your fucking flower while you offed Kate Argent.” John was absolutely sincere. “I have long since learned that there are worse monsters out there than the ones with fangs and claws. Kate Argent is definitely one of them and she has no place in the world. She cannot be saved and she doesn’t want to be.” John rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You be safe too, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t. I’m at the Hale house now. I’ll call you later.” He hung up and pulled in next to Derek’s SUV before getting out of the Jeep and grabbing his pack.

Derek came out on the porch to meet Stiles, he was pale and drawn and looked Stiles over like he would find hidden injuries any time. “Stiles.” Derek reached out and pulled Stiles into his arms.

Stiles wrapped his arms around him in turn, aware of a stressed Laura standing in the doorway, “I’m sorry, sorry to scare you, sorry about all this but it was necessary,” he wrapped a hand protectively around the back of Derek’s neck, “And still is.” 

“We need to go inside then, you need to tell us what’s up.” Derek didn’t want to move, he wanted to hold Stiles in his arms and pretend that nothing was wrong. 

“Where’s Ziva?” Stiles rubbed his cheek against Derek’s.

“Peter has her occupied upstairs. How bad is this Stiles?” Laura asked as her brother and his boyfriend separated enough to walk inside.

“Bad. Not an army after us bad but still easily up there for the emotional turmoil as well as genuine threat,” he looped an arm around Derek’s waist and followed Laura as she made her way to the library.

“Stiles, please for all that is holy, tell us what’s the matter.” Derek closed the library door behind the three of them, knowing that the room was soundproofed and Ziva would not overhear anything of what they said. “I am vibrating out of my skin here, thinking of all the bad things that could be coming after us.”

Stiles breathed in, “Kate Argent broke out of prison,” he saw Laura fall to the floor, her legs going out from under her, “and has been leaving a trail in our direction.”

Derek was just frozen in place, he didn’t think he could have moved even if he wanted to. He froze from the inside out. His mind was replaying all the things Kate said and done to hurt his family. What she had tried to do to Ziva. “Fuck.” 

Stiles wrapped both arms around Derek even though he was stiff and unmoving, “I don’t think she’s in Beacon Hills yet. I haven’t felt anything trip the outer wards. But I’d rather be safe and guarded than make assumptions that would wind up with us in trouble.”

Laura swallowed and got to her feet, sliding out of the skin of the girl who’d felt her pack bonds snap one by one until the power of the alpha slammed through her and into the skin of the alpha her mother had trained her to be, “And you’re right. Derek mentioned stones, that he didn’t bring,” she ignored the exasperated look Stiles gave her brother, “that you mentioned were for protection. What are they?”

“Semi-precious stones carved with runes, they create a barrier field that keeps out anyone uninvited. It took a couple years to learn to make them but now I could make a set in my sleep.”

“Can you make a set for,” Laura caught a bag that Stiles tossed at her with a cocked brow, “Clever little shit.”

“I wouldn’t leave your house unprotected. Never.” Derek still felt cold, he tried to remember that he wasn’t a smitten child anymore. He wasn’t helpless or useless but it didn’t matter. Kate still had power over him. Still made him feel sixteen and completely broken all over again. 

And the exasperation softened to tender affection. Stiles pressed his lips to Derek’s temple, “Okay,” he nuzzled the side of Derek’s face, “Okay.”

“Okay.” Derek echoed, finally getting his arms to move to the point where he could wrap them around Stiles, holding the one he loved close. He would not fail this time around and he would not let Kate hurt or take anyone else that he cared about ever again. This time he would stop her, no matter what the cost was.

“What are you capable of Stiles?” Laura asked, still all business, “In a fight what can you do?”

“I’m guessing you’re not talking about martial abilities,” Stiles brought a hand up to sift through Derek’s hair, “Fire, lightning, and wind are my specialties unless I’m desperate.”

“And if you’re desperate?” She wasn’t pulling any punches.

“Blood magic,” it was a branch of magic that was as dangerous to the wielder as it was to the target and thrice as powerful as it was dangerous. 

“No.” Derek looked at both Stiles and Laura, taking a step back. “No, we are not going there, it won’t be necessary.” Derek was scared to death of Stiles hurting himself, to do something that dangerous. “We know that she is coming now, we know what kind of monster she is and we outnumber her. So no blood magic, we are going to be able to take her down without something like that.” Derek knew he could take care of himself, Laura and Peter could too...It was Ziva he feared for. How could they keep her safe without her finding out that her mother was coming after her to kill her...again?

“I didn’t say it was necessary,” Laura told him firmly, “We need to know what Stiles can do so we can properly use him in this fight.”

“Marksman, slightly less capable than Allison, good with short blades but I like my bat, capable of taking down a werewolf in hand to hand,” Stiles was reaching out for Derek’s hand, “I’m not _just_ magic or a human alpha. I learned to fight even when I may not have magic at my disposal. But what I’m best at, what I excel at, isn’t on the battlefield. It’s _protection_. An evening, a few materials, and permission to carve runes into the foundation and I can make a house into a bombshelter. Fifteen minutes and the right materials and I can make a talisman that will make any ill intent directed at its wearer rebound on the attacker, though there is a cost. The wearer can’t attack anyone or anything either or it breaks the bond of innocence.” 

"Not even to defend yourself...if something or someone comes after you specifically?" Everything Stiles said, sounded great, except for that. Derek knew Stiles could fight, that didn't mean that he didn't want to spare Stiles from having to do that. "We need to have a plan and backup plans aplenty. Kate is a whole sack of nuts but she's smart, she's really clever and very good at spotting your weaknesses. She is patient and she doesn't strike until she knows she has the upper hand."

“Not even to defend yourself. The point of the wearable talisman is to eliminate the need to defend yourself. And I always have a good half dozen back-up plans for _anything_ ,” Stiles answered.

“Make one for Ziva,” Laura said, “She’s the only one who won’t fight back yet. Pups are taught to run until their first shift. So make one for her.”

Normally Stiles felt his wolf growl when receiving orders, even when they came from his Dad, but Laura...it felt right for her to be giving him orders. Which was a little bucket of weird but he’d examine it later, after they got rid of Kate, “I can do that.”

“I want your pack here after you put up all those protections you spoke about. Can you make the house immune to fire?”

“Yes,” Stiles saw her shift, just a little bit, into a less tense stance, “Anti-fire wards are actually some of the easiest to make and power up.”

"Thank you." Derek's voice was soft, he couldn't even explain how much this meant, Stiles' help and support. "We _all_ appreciate your help very much." Especially when it came to Ziva, Derek was man enough to admit that she was the most important thing in his whole universe. And she was the one Kate would target the most.

“Don’t thank me for protecting the people I’ve claimed as mine Derek. Because you and Ziva and Laura and Peter, you guys are mine. You’re Laura’s Pack, but you’re just mine. Same as I’m yours.”

Laura felt her wolf settle, felt it curl up in a little ball of contentment at that, “Let’s get those protections laid first then go grab your pack Stiles.”

He nodded and slid a hand down Derek’s arm as he crouched to grab things out of his pack, “You’re going to have to come with me Laura. The protection wards are going to be connected to you as Alpha.”

“Not a problem.” She cocked a brow at Derek, “You’re going to have to stay here and tell Peter and Ziva.” It was Alpha to Second, not sister to brother.

Derek nodded, he had already guessed that would be his duty. It was going to be very rough, telling Ziva, still Derek wanted her to hear it from him and not anyone else. She was his, his daughter, his perfect, perfect, adored and beloved baby girl. "I'll do that. You two be careful now." 

“Hey,” Stiles caught the back of Derek’s neck and brought him in for a soft, slow kiss, “It will be okay,” he rubbed his nose against Derek’s, “I promise you Derek. It _will_ be okay.” Then he was out the door with Laura to safeguard the house.

Derek watched the doorway where they had left, breathing in and out deeply a couple of times to steel himself before he walked out the library and up the stairs to tell his uncle and his daughter what was going on and how they had to be very, very careful from here on out. He had a sneaking suspicion that Ziva would be the more mature one about this news.

Ziva ran from Peter into her Daddy’s arms as soon as he appeared, “Is Mr. Stiles okay?”

“Mr. Stiles is fine, he is helping Laura ward this house right now.” Derek lifted Ziva up and held her close, meeting Peter’s eyes as he went to sit down. “I need to talk to you though and it is very important that you listen closely, the both of you.” He begged Peter not to interrupt right now. “Zippy, do you remember what we told you about your Mommy? That she was sick?”

Ziva wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded, “Uh-huh, you said she was sick in her heart in a way that made her do bad things to people and got her put in jail. Did she do another bad thing Daddy?”

Peter had tensed, leaning forward in his seat, hands clenched tightly into fists.

“Yes Princess, she’s done another bad thing.” Derek nodded, holding his daughter close. “She has broken out of jail and she is still very, very sick in her heart. “Mr. Stiles and Sheriff Stilinski think she is on her way here, to do more bad things and we are going to have to be very careful. Keep safe. So you sweetpea, you need to listen and do exactly as Mr. Stiles and we tell you okay, so that you don’t get hurt.”

She ran her hand over her Daddy’s hair in a soft petting motion, over and over, “Okay Daddy. I promise I’ll do what you and Mr. Stiles and Auntie Laura too say. I don’t want to make you sad.” She snuggled close to her Daddy, “Will Mr. Stiles and his pack stay with us?”

Derek felt like crying again. Ziva didn’t want to make him sad...how had she turned out so perfect with two so fucked up parents? Derek just knew that he would do absolutely anything to keep her safe and away from Kate. “Yes, Mr. Stiles and his whole pack will come to stay here.”

“Good cause they have to be safe too. If any of his pack got hurt Mr. Stiles would be sad,” she nestled her head on his shoulder and looked at Peter, “Uncle Peter do you need a hug too?”

Peter smiled though it was a very strained smile. “No sweetie, you stay with your Daddy and hug him. I am fine. Thank you for offering though.” Peter rose. “I think I’ll go see if Stiles and Laura need any help.” That way he could get a grasp on what their plan to deal with this was without any chance of making Zippy upset.

“Okay. I love you Uncle Peter,” she said, sincere to her core, “Remember not to step on the brownie mounds.”

“I love you too Ziva.” This time Peter’s smile was warmer, despite his feelings about Kate. “Love you very much and I promise to be careful not to step on the brownie mounds.” He exchanged a look with Derek and left father and daughter alone.

Ziva clucked her tongue and had Squiggles jumping from the room’s dresser onto her Daddy’s shoulder, the kitten purring against his jaw, “It’ll be okay Daddy. You’ll see. Auntie Laura and Mr. Stiles will keep everyone safe and make sure my Mommy won’t hurt any of us.”

“You are right Princess, it will be alright.” Derek wished, he really wished he could believe that and he hoped it would be true. All he really knew was that he would fight to the bitter end to make sure that everyone that he loved was safe, that Kate wouldn’t be allowed to hurt anyone else.


	14. Chapter 14

Outside Stiles looked up from where he was carving runes into the roots of a tree at Peter’s approach, “Stand about two feet to the left please. I need a clear line of sight to the house.”

Peter moved so that he wouldn’t be in the way for Stiles and muttered an apology. He went to stand next to Laura. “What’s the plan to take her out?”

“We haven’t made one yet. We’re concentrating on getting everyone tucked away safely first,” Laura cut into her palm and dripped blood over the runes, “After we’re done setting the wards for the house we’ll discuss offense.”

Peter made an impatient face but nodded all the same. He knew Laura was right and no matter how much he wanted to, he knew better than to go after a trained hunter, serial killer without a proper plan. “Alright. Anything I can do in the meantime?”

“Get in touch with those crazy bastard’s you call friends,” she followed Stiles to the next tree, Peter keeping step beside her, “see if any of them can get their hands on Demon’s Mist.” She had no intention whatsoever of playing nice and if she could poison Kate Argent with Demon’s Mist she damn well would. It had no antidote, no cure. If you weren’t a werewolf and it got into your bloodstream you’d literally rot from the inside out within twenty four hours.

“Got it.” Peter nodded. “And they’re not crazy, just...unconventional.” They were crazy, batshit crazy but that was alright, so was Peter. “I’ll call them and check on what they have and what they can get. They might have other goodies we can use.” Peter leaned in and kissed Laura’s cheek before going so he could contact his friends in private. He wasn’t good at sitting on his ass and doing nothing, never had been.

It took just another hour before all the new wards and protections were laid down and then Stiles was calling Scott as he followed Laura back inside. He rolled his eyes at the ringtone music Scott still kept and drummed his fingers waiting for his best friend to pick up.

“What up?” Scott did answer finally, sounding very distracted. “What can I do for you Stiles?” 

“Grab up the pack and their luggage, your Mom and my Dad included, make a brief stop by my place for my long term stay crap, you know what all that is, then come to the new Hale house with everyone. We’re all staying here until the threat is over. And tell Lydia to _stop_ looking before she gives herself another migraine and Jackson goes ballistic.”

“We’re already packing everything up bro. Your dad gave us the info on what’s going on.” Scott did his best to sound calm, even though he was internally freaking out, worrying about Allison and their unborn baby. “Jackson is already close to going ballistic but we’re on our way. Should be over at the Hale house within the hour.”

“Good. And Scott?” He waited until he knew he had his best friend’s full attention, “I am _not_ going to let anything happen to Allison. Not even if I have to work side by side with Victoria Argent will I let your mate and cub get hurt.” It carried the weight of a promise from not only an alpha but a mage.

“I know.” The reply came instantly and without hesitation. “I do know that Stiles and I believe it, I believe in you. You know I will do anything I can to help you.” Scott trusted Stiles more than he trusted himself. Always had and always would. 

“Good cause I’m gonna need you to come with me and Laura later to the nemeton,” Stiles was crouched, undoing his shoelaces because the Hale’s carpet looked really nice and he didn’t want to track dirt all over it.

“Okay.” Scott knew his alpha was connected to the nemeton but he hated the place. All he was reminded of when he saw that tree was Stiles almost dead. “Let’s get over there and then I am yours, command my time oh alpha one.”

Stiles snorted, “Smart ass,” then oofed as a little body impacted with his back.

“You said a bad word Mr. Stiles,” Ziva said, rubbing her cheek against the small of his back..

“I did indeed. Bad me?” He smiled, “See you soon Scott,” then hung up, tucking his phone away so he could turn and give Ziva a hug, “Hey there Princess.”

Derek came up behind them, watching Stiles and his daughter, the warm creature inside him blooming up and spreading at the sight. “Everything went okay I hope.” He leaned against the wall.

“Just fine, one well warded in the event of apocalypse Hale house all set up,” Stiles tweaked Ziva’s nose, getting a giggle out of her. He pulled something out of his bag, a little leather pouch, “Can you do something for me Princess?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded solemnly.

“This is a talisman, it’ll keep you safe as long as you wear it but when you wear it you can’t try and fight anyone or it won’t work okay?”

She nibbled her bottom lip, “Not even if someone tries to hurt you or Daddy?”

He ran a hand over her hair, “You need to have faith that your Daddy and I can protect each other and ourselves okay Princess? Because I will _never_ let anything bad happen you your Daddy and he won’t let anything bad happen to me either. Can you do this for us?”

She looked down, thinking hard, “You’re _sure_ you and Daddy will be okay?”

“Absolutely.”

“We promise Princess, I will look out for Stiles and he will look out for me.” Derek pushed off the wall and walked over the two of them. “But in order for us to be able to do that, we both need to know that you are safe, that no one could ever hurt you. Stiles’ talisman will help with that.”

She frowned, “I still don’t like it.”

Stiles smiled and kissed her brow, “I know _exactly_ how you feel.”

She twisted the hem of her sweater in her hands before nodding, “Okay. I promise I won’t fight anyone while I wear the talisman thingy.”

“Thank you,” he put the talisman around her neck and set it with a soft murmur of Polish, making it glow gold for a second, “There you go.”

“You even carry that off well, make it look beautiful.” Derek smiled and mouthed thank you to Stiles. Knowing his girl was protected made a huge weight lift from his shoulders. 

Stiles just winked up at him and, as he stood, brought Ziva up with him, perched on his hip, “You are aware there’s a kitten on your shoulder yes?”

“What? Are you serious?” Derek mock gasped and looked at the gray kitten on his shoulder. “I thought it was just a pimple with hair growing out of it.” 

“Ewwwww Daddy!” Ziva giggled as Squiggles lifted a paw and booped Derek on the nose with it.

And Stiles, who’d already had his phone out again, got the picture, “Aaaaaand I have a new screensaver.”

Derek just grinned and scratched Squiggles behind the ears. “I thought you were supposed be on my side, as I offer you free transportation and a place to perch on.” He grumbled at the kitty before leaning forward to kiss first Ziva and then Stiles.

Stiles hummed into the kiss happily, “Well you know cats, they follow their own agendas.” 

“Very true.” He nodded and snuck himself another kiss. “And also I suspect this little kitten is being trained by our budding master criminal here.” He pinched Ziva’s nose.

“Not a criminal! I’m gonna be an anti-hero!” She proclaimed, “Like Jack Harkness!”

“Dear god no!” The words were out of Derek’s mouth before he could stop himself. He loved Captain Jack but he did not want his daughter to become a pan sexual seducer, humping everything with a pulse...and perhaps a few things without a pulse. “Why not Deadpool?” Not that he was much better. “Black Cat? Natasha Romanov without the brainwashing?” He looked at Ziva pleadingly.

“Black Window is a _hero_ Daddy,” she scolded, “And Black Cat is a thief who never stops stealing even for Spiderman. And Deadpool is _mean_ to Blind Al. No I wanna be Jack Harkness.”

Stiles was shaking in amusement, “Hey, here’s one, how about Hellboy? Breaks the rules to get the job done, has a bunch of cats, and he’s supernatural.”

She tilted her head, “Maybe...I still like Captain Jack better.”

“It’s fine, you have plenty of time to decide what and who you want to be.” Derek just hoped she would be a slightly or a lot more moral Jack Harkness. Preferably a chaste, virgin one until her forties or until Derek was dead, yeah...that would be good.

“You’re silly Daddy,” she proclaimed just as a car door slammed outside, “It’s Mr. Scott but someone’s growling.”

Stiles sighed and handed Ziva to Derek, “That will be Jackson. Excuse me, I have a banshee to deal with,” he strode out to where Lydia was leaning against the porsche, eyes a milky white, Jackson a hulking, half transformed mess beside her. He went directly to her, cupped her face and said firmly, with all the command he had at his disposal, “Lydia _stop_.”

Jackson whined even though he was still growling. He couldn’t help it. He knew this was hurting Lydia but he couldn’t make his mate stop. Now he just hoped that their alpha could.

Scott looked freaked as well and Isaac looked downright terrified.

Lydia blinked and then her eyes were back to green, clear and frightened, “Stiles....”

“I’ve told you _not_ to do that Lydia,” he brought her in for a hug, “Please. Don’t. It hurts you and it hurts Jackson to _see_ you forcing yourself into the banshee sight. You spent too damned long learning to keep it controlled to drown yourself in it. I will bind your powers if I have to and you know it.”

She sank into him, “I need to help Stiles.”

“Your brain and in a fight your potions and claws and lungs are all we need Lydia. _No more looking for death_.”

“Lydia please.” Jackson spoke through a mouth full of fangs, eyes glowing and claws flexing. “Please don’t hurt yourself this way.”

Derek was holding Ziva in his arms, they weren’t outside but he knew Ziva could hear what was going on perfectly and he didn’t want her scared.

She wasn’t scared really, she didn’t see any reason to be, “Miss Lydia is really very silly sometimes isn’t she Daddy?”

Laura came out of the library, “Very silly but people get silly when they want to keep their pack safe.” She looked outside to see the redhead nod silently before Stiles forced a verbal promise from her. And then Stiles was turning her into her mate’s arms.

Lydia pulled Jackson’s mouth down to hers, murmuring a soft apology against it.

Jackson didn’t need the apology. Not really, all he needed was Lydia safe and normal, not abusing gifts that hurt her. He kissed her gently, so very gently and held her close like she was made out of glass. 

Scott let out a breath and nodded a thank you to Stiles. Mostly he could ride herd on their pack when Stiles was absent but things like this, the magical, supernatural things. Well here he fell sadly short. He picked out a large duffel bag from the trunk and handed it to Stiles. “Here are your supplies.”

“Thanks bro. Hi Ally,” he brought her in for a hug, kissing her temple when she sidled up to him.

“You talked to my parents?”

“Yeah. Your Mom looked ready to go out and hunt Kate down herself,” he squeezed her shoulders, “and let’s not speak of what Chris looked ready to do, he scares me sometimes.”

“Liar,” she smiled at him and snuggled into Scott.

“I am wounded. Alright troops, inside the house,” he made shooing motions, not at all surprised that Jackson was the first to move, scooping Lydia up into his arms.

She argued being carried like a damsel in distress, of course she did because Lydia argued about everything. It was part of why Jackson loved her so insanely much, why he couldn’t breathe without her. 

Scott held Allison’s hand as they walked inside and Isaac followed close to Erica and Boyd, stealing glances as Laura as he passed her.

Stiles walked up to his Dad and brought him into a hard hug, then grinned, “Hold my flower huh?”

“Yup.” John nodded fiercely and hugged his son just as tightly in return. “I’m hip...I know the lingo you kids use these days.” 

“You just ruined any chance at being _hip_ right there Johnny.” Erica called over her shoulder.

“So speaks the woman who had my Dad teach her to salsa!” Stiles called back with a grin, “He doesn’t have to be current to be cool!” He pulled his Dad along to the house, hooking arms with Melissa along the way until they were inside.

“You can dance Mr. Sheriff?” Ziva asked curiously, “Can Mr. Stiles dance too?”

“Mr. Stiles is an incredible dancer.” John replied with a wide, face splitting grin, winking at Ziva. “His hips never lie, you should ask him to show you.”

Derek was happy he was holding Zippy because otherwise he might have had to check his chin for drool. Just the thought of Stiles shaking his hips made Derek’s thoughts travel in a very inappropriate direction. 

Isaac snickered at Stiles’ expression. Stiles never really danced in front of them but he wondered how he was going to refuse if Ziva was the one to ask.

“It doesn’t really work right unless he’s dressed appropriately though,” Allison argued.

“Oh I can easily shove him into skinny jeans and that little vest,” Lydia said with a smirk.

“You are all evil and I regret knowing you.” Stiles huffed.

“How come?” Ziva asked.

“Because they’re _trying_ to embarrass me. I don’t really dance very well. My dad he can salsa, rhumba, tango, and waltz really well. I’m mostly a dancing failure.”

Melissa smiled, “Except for two branches.”

“Two? I thought it was just the one,” Boyd asked.

“Oh no, he learned another one while at Berkeley to keep in better shape,” Melissa ignored Stiles’ scandalized expression.

“M’liss you _promised_ never to speak of it!”

"What's the two branches?" Derek was asking before he could get a hold of his tongue. He suddenly had images of Stiles poledancing and it made his palms sweaty.

Erica gave him a very amused look before turning to look at Stiles. "Yeah, come on Froggy, what's the second dance you mastered?"

“I will never tell you, never,” his face was vivid red, “I might, possibly, it could happen, in a fit of affection or other sort of warm emotion, one day tell Derek. The rest of you can suffer not knowing. You only know about the first because I was wasted on tequila anyway.”

Lydia smirked, “Best party gift Jackson ever brought was that tequila.”

“Stilinski on tequila is amusement for the whole family.” Jackson grinned.

“Yup.” Erica looked like the cat who had swallowed the canary. “Seeing Stiles move that way, belly dancing and shaking his hips made me have happy dreams for a long time afterwards.” She had planned on being cruder but big, round, curious green eyes reminded her that a child she was teaching was present.

Derek mentally whined and drooled because Stiles belly dancing...oh that would definitely be enough to give him plenty of happy times too. He was still very curious what the other branch of dancing was but perhaps, one day. Stiles would be comfortable enough to tell him, or even show him.

“Ooooh you can belly dance?” Ziva bounced in place, “That’s so cool! I read that it takes a lot of core strength and control and it’s really fun too. Is it?”

Stiles may be resembling a lobster but he couldn’t refuse to answer those big green eyes, “It is yeah. When I’m not being poked and prodded about it my my evil friends. I learned because it looked fun and like something I could learn in the privacy of my bedroom to avoid humiliation in front of a bunch of people.” 

“Mission success,” Allison grinned, “You give Shakira a run for her money.”

“But you still hide even though you’re awesome at it.” Erica complained. “You only wiggle and writhe and use your snake hips when you’re drunk. You should dance all the time.” 

Isaac got a wicked gleam in his eyes. He was the pack puppy so it was easy to forget he had an evil streak a mile wide too. “Why don’t you ask Stiles to teach you Ziva?”

The look Stiles gave him would have roasted a turkey but Laura almost purred at the wicked expression the curly haired man had.

Ziva, oblivious to the undercurrents, “Would you? Would you please? You could teach Daddy too!”

Boyd murmured to Erica, “If Stiles gets any redder he might actually explode.”

“Yup.” Erica seemed way too pleased than appropriate by that thought. “Derek is not too far behind though, I love it.”

“Yes Stiles, you should teach both Ziva and Derek, it could be a bonding thing.” Isaac plastered on his most innocent and angelic expression.

“Poor Stiles.” Scott snickered into Allison’s hair.

Stiles had no idea if the temperature of his face would ever return to normal but he coughed, “That’s a decision that’ll be up to your Daddy Princess.” 

And then Derek was zeroed in on by those lethal puppy eyes, “Daddy pleaseeeeeee? Can we?”

Derek had no idea how he was supposed to survive those lessons, one minute in and he would want to jump Stiles. He already knew it and he also knew he wouldn’t be able to with his daughter there. Still how could he say no to that expression. “Um...as long as it is okay with Stiles and he has the time for it, then of course we can.”

He was dead. So very, very dead. Stiles flipped his snickering pack off behind his back and smiled down at Ziva’s hopeful expression, “Okay Princess you win.”

“Yes!” She bounced up and down and hugged him around the waist. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Isaac patted himself on the back, metaphorically in any case. Mission completed, both to annoy Stiles and get the matchmaker train on the track. He wasn’t an idiot though so he slowly crept away from Stiles while he was busy hugging Ziva. 

Derek knew this would be miserable. It would be torture to watch Stiles move like that and not be able to touch him. Plus, Derek lacked rhythm. He couldn’t even clap in time with music without going off beat.

Laura slipped up behind Isaac and murmured in his ear, “You're a sneaky little shit aren’t you?”

“Who? Me?” He nearly shivered from her breath washing over his ear. “I am as sweet and innocent as they come.” Isaac sent her a crooked grin.

She tsked, looking up at him, “You can’t lie to a werewolf. I bet you are sweet, when you want to be, but not so innocent as you claim,” she leaned close enough to get a nice whiff of him, pleased that he wasn’t practically marinated in cologne or aftershave.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Isaac’s smile widened and his heart thumped at having Laura Hale so close. “Being sweet would have made me miss out on that.” He nodded toward both Stiles and Derek who were still blushing.

She chuckled and rested her chin very, very lightly on his shoulder, noting that it was broader than his slimness advertised, “No fun at all. It’s okay, I like people to have a little bite. Too much sugar gives me cavities.” She slipped away from his back in a lingering slide.

This time Isaac did shiver and he felt strangely cold, like Laura left a huge emptiness behind even though she had only been next to him for a little while. He looked up and met Lydia’s calculating expression. Damn but those green eyes didn’t miss much. 

Lydia turned her speculative gaze from Isaac, who was entirely too easy to read, to Laura, gauging the lady alpha and her possible intentions. Isaac was their puppy, the one that everyone would commit felonies just to make smile. She’d hate to have to murder Derek’s sister if she toyed with Isaac. Lydia turned her head to try and catch Stiles’ attention as he was talking to Ziva and she saw the sudden tension grip her alpha’s spine. 

Derek noticed the tension too, probably because he found it very difficult to look away from Stiles when he was in the room. Something about the younger man draw his gaze over and over again. “What’s wrong?” 

“The outer wards were just crossed,” Stiles ran a hand over Ziva’s hair, “So that’s forty-eight hours from here,” he straightened up, “Laura?”

“I’ll get what you asked,” she headed off to get the canister that held what Stiles had asked for.

Allison turned to kiss Scott’s jaw before nudging him toward Stiles.

Scott walked over to Stiles and stood by his shoulder, close enough for them to brush against each other. He was there for his alpha and his mage but mostly he was there for his friend and brother. Stiles was family in a way that went too deep to explain. “What do you need from me?” 

“Mostly support,” he thumped Scott lightly on the shoulder as Laura came back, “you’re essentially my Second ding bat. Any major mojo I pull at the tree needs your furry butt there too.”

Laura came back in, “Does Derek need to come, as he’s my Second?”

“Not unless he wants to since you won’t be connecting with the tree itself the way I do.”

Derek really, _really_ didn’t want to go to that tree but he didn’t want to leave Laura hanging either. “I’d like to come with my alpha but I’m not sure it would be a good idea.” Derek suddenly looked very, very young. “The tree...it might not respond in a positive way to my presence there.”

And Stiles remembered. He remembered a much older vision from when he’d nearly died at the tree, and remembered the god damned bunny teeth of the poor boy in it. He reached out before Laura could say anything and pulled Derek in close to murmur so softly into his ear none of the other werewolves would hear, “There is nothing, no magic, no part of nature, that blames you for what happened when you were a kid Derek. Not the nemeton, not the land of Beacon Hills, not the magic pulse of the land.”

Derek shuddered and pressed closer into that comforting embrace, burying his face in Stiles’ neck. He blamed himself and he always would. If he hadn’t pursued Paige then she would still be alive now. Brilliant and shining, playing her cello. Derek knew it was his fault but it still felt nice to know that the tree hadn’t taken damage, hadn’t grown corrupted because of what he had done.

Stiles’ pack just looked confused, none of them having any idea of what was going on.

Stiles closed his eyes and set his fingers at the base of Derek’s neck softly and let the memory of the emotion the nemeton had felt for Derek, and protective anger on his behalf, the sorrow for him, and the love that nature’s magic always held for those who kept her conventions filter from his memories to Derek’s, “If you choose to come, you’ll be welcome Derek. Always.”

Laura was watching with wide eyes, her heart beating like a rabbit as she watched Stiles do _something_ to her brother that seemed to sweep through him like a tidal wave. She didn’t know what was happening but she hoped it was good.

He made a full body shudder as all those emotions washed over him and then with everyone still around them...Derek cried. It was a good crying though, cleansing. Derek would always feel guilt and sorrow for what happened to Paige but now after this...it felt like he would finally be able to let her go. 

Ziva’s eyes went wide, his nostrils flaring, but she didn’t do anything but press close and hug her Daddy around the waist because it didn’t smell like a bad cry. And because Mr. Stiles was holding her Daddy, strong and close.

Laura reached for Peter’s hand, gripping it tight as she watched her brother finally, _finally_ , release the agony she’d seen him carry for years.

Peter squeezed Laura’s hand, just as relieved as she was that Derek finally let some of his hurt out instead of bottling it up like he always did. Stiles was a gift, Peter was happy that Derek had found and given his heart to Stiles Stilinski.

Derek did his best to collect himself and pull himself together. There wasn’t time for this, not now. Not when they had two days to prepare to face Kate head on and try to stop her.

Stiles pulled Derek’s mouth to his for a gentle, sliding kiss, an emotional anchor as the werewolf stitched himself back together. He could hear the majority of his pack talking in the kitchen, Lydia having moved them away out of respect, and felt a warm burst of pride in her.

“Thank you.” Derek pressed his lips against Stiles before leaning their foreheads together for a moment. “Thank you for showing me that and for being you.” He held onto Stiles for a little while longer, indulging in the feeling of having Stiles so close before letting go and taking a step back. 

“You’re welcome,” it was softly spoken, Stiles’ hand dragging over Derek’s cheek as the man moved back. “So...coming or staying?”

“I’m coming. I want to be there for Laura...and you too. And I think it might be time I faced my own demons, in order to let them go.” Derek’s smile was small but honest. 

Ziva didn’t really understand what was going on but she hugged her Daddy’s waist tight, “You better look after my Daddy, Mr. Stiles.”

Stiles smiled down at her, “You have my word of honor princess.”

Derek crouched and scooped Ziva up into his arms, hugging her close and kissing her cheek. “We will be right back Zippy. I trust you to take care of Stiles’ pack while we are gone...you know we can’t trust Peter with company. You need to make sure your uncle behaves.” He hugged her even closer. “Love you fleapea.”

She rubbed her cheek against his, arms going round his neck, “I love you too Daddy. And I promise I won’t let Uncle Peter be weird to Mr. Stiles’ pack.” 

“Good girl.” Derek smiled and rubbed his cheek against hers in return, making sure not to rub hard, not wanting to give his daughter stubble burn. “I know you will be awesome as the lady of the manor.”

She gave him a smacking kiss on his cheek, “See you soon Daddy,” and hopped away to pull Uncle Peter into the kitchen, demanding hot cocoa.

Stiles picked up his smaller satchel, meeting Scott’s, then Laura’s eyes, “We all ready?”

Scott nodded, he was ready since he would only be there for Stiles. 

Derek nodded too, meeting his sister’s eyes and giving her a smile. “Yeah, I think we are ready now.”

Laura inclined her head, “Lead the way Stiles.”

He shouldered his satchel and zipped out the door. He had long legs and though he didn’t have quite werewolf speed, they still ate up the ground easily. He heard Scott laugh from his left and grinned. He knew Scott loved to run with him, even if they were running to somewhere serious.

Scott did love to run with Stiles, it made him feel free and it reminded him of their childhood adventures, most of which had ended with torn clothes and bloodied elbows and knees and they had always been great. He knew this was a serious matter but running alongside his best friend, it was something Scott would always treasure.

Derek kept pace with Laura, not starting a running race for once, Laura always beat him anyway.

Laura however, was impressed with Stiles. Even with an alpha’s power he was _fast_. She slid a look over at Derek and poked his arm, nudging him closer to Stiles, who glanced back with a wink and a grin, and picked up his speed.

Oh ho ho, it seemed like there might be a race after all. Derek had been happy running after Stiles, since Stiles’ behind looked very, very nice as he ran but he grinned wolfishly and sped up himself too, letting out a howl.

Stiles’ heart soared with that howl, not really sure why but it felt amazing. He leaped over a log and tossed a kiss over his shoulder at Derek, getting a laugh from Laura in the process, his feet pounding the forest floor in a rapid rhythm. He wanted to stop and play but they couldn’t and he knew it, so they’d squeeze the play in as they ran.

Scott echoed Derek’s howl and ran closer to Stiles, nudging his alpha’s shoulder in a playful move. He was very well aware that they were on serious business and that they would soon face a dangerous enemy but right now, with the ground beneath their feet and the wind in their faces, right now it was fun and free and wonderful.

Laura howled as well, the joy of an alpha on the run beating inside her chest and something felt _right_ when Stiles’ voice joined hers in the howl. She wondered, just a flicker at the back of her mind, if maybe...she shook her head. Not now. Not until things were settled and safe. 

Stiles lifted his hands a swept them to the side, making a bank of trees in front of them part so the nemeton came into view, green and healthy.

Derek slowed and watched the giant tree, it didn’t look like he remembered it but then again, his memories were probably colored by his emotions. This tree didn’t look dangerous or sinister, it was healthy and well...welcoming. 

Scott watched the tree as well, remembering Stiles’ blood smeared across its bark. Stiles was alive though, strong and vibrant and powerful right next to him and to Scott, that was all that mattered.

Stiles slowed so that by the time he was at the tree itself, he was walking softly. He laid one hand on the oak’s bark, “Evening. Look who’s back in Beacon Hills.”

Laura gasped as she felt a wave of warmth and welcome and comfort wash over her. “Oh.”

Derek nudged her forward, she was the alpha of the Hale pack and she should greet the tree in return by touching it. 

Scott patted the bark, sending a silent thank you to the tree for saving his best friend. He didn’t feel as connected to it as Stiles did but there was something there.

Laura ran her hand over the bark, a lump in her throat as she felt the energy thrumming, and then memories were flashing from it, to her. Requirements of a homebound alpha her mother hadn’t had time to teach her, and a soft glimpse of her possible future, her _pack’s_ possible future. “We’re here, we’re home.”

Stiles smiled at the ground as he started to set up a small ritual circle.

Derek didn’t touch the tree, he wasn’t quite there yet but it still felt good, just being there, seeing the tree and how it obviously thrived under Stiles’ care. He watched curiously as Stiles set up his circle. He had no idea just what Stiles planned on doing here.

Scott was like a huge puppy, leaning over Stiles’ shoulder as he worked.

“Okay Laura, gimme,” Stiles held a hand out, wiggling his fingers.

She blinked back to herself and passed the canister over to him, watching as he narrowed his eyes, weighing it in his hands, then set it dead center of the circle.

“Scott keep your head out of the space above the circle, Laura hands opposite mine,” he set his hands down on the lines at the very edge of his circle and after Laura had knelt and mirrored him, he began to chant softly in his mother’s tongue. It was the language he was most closely connected to so it worked best for him with spells that connected him to the magic of the land.

Scott pulled back and went to stand next to Derek. He took in Derek’s nearly glazed eyes and the way he licked his lips and repressed his snort. Oh these two were so gone for each other it wasn’t even funny. Still he supposed he could understand Derek. Seeing Stiles like this for the first time was a rush, even Scott could admit that.

Laura noticed at Stiles very nearly glowed with power, and she could feel it from the tree, filtering through him into the circle he’d made. The hair on the back of her neck began to rise as his chanting grew more rapid, more intense then all of a sudden the canister was engulfed in flame, a small swirl of it that consumed it and its contents in tones of gold and orange. It subsided quickly, leaving behind nothing, not even ash.

“And there we go. If Kate steps foot in the forest I’ll know when and where and so will you,” he met Laura’s eyes.

Derek had goosebumps, not a regular occurrence as a werewolf but he did. There was something powerful and great about Stiles at the moment and Derek craved him, he wanted to lick Stiles’ skin and feel if he could taste that golden power on his tongue. 

“Whoa dude, keep it in your pants.” Scott nudged him and bounced over to Stiles again.

Stiles gave his best friend a _look_ and flicked him on the ear, “You Scotty, are a mess.”

“Me?” Scott’s eyes turned almost comically large. “I protest that statement. I am a best friend and a best bro and if I should happen to be a mess, which I am not...I am your mess buddy.”

“Indeed you are. Wonder what I did in a past life to wind up with that?” He laughed as Scott shoved him, then he began clearing the circle and putting his things back into the satchel.

“Obviously something great, since you were honored by the greatness that is I!” Scott ran his hands up and down his own body, just to clarify how great he really was.

Derek rolled his eyes and walked over to help Laura up, not that she needed any help. 

She let him, leaning an arm on his shoulder, “ _That_ is going to be a father soon.” She exchanged a look with Derek, “I see much advice giving in your future little brother.”

“I don’t think he will need much advice.” Derek pressed a kiss to the top of his sister’s head. “When he holds that baby, his entire world with break apart and reform around that tiny being in his arms. He or she will come first, in everything and that changes you.”

She just held him tight and kissed his cheek, “Sappy idiot.”

Stiles got to his feet, satchel over his shoulder again, “It looks good on him.”

“The sappiness or the idiot part?” Derek quirked a brow as they got ready to set off toward home again. 

“The former.” Stiles answered easily, making the barrier trees close behind them again. He eyed Derek curiously, “I know how fast Scott’s capable of going. How about you? What’s your top speed?”

“Not sure but I’m willing to find out.” Derek grinned and set off, almost leaving a vapor trail behind himself.

“Cheat!” Scott called before taking off running himself.

Stiles just waved Laura ahead of him, waiting until she took off as fast as she could and was no longer in sight. Then he let his magic fill him and change his shape, gaining wings and feathers then taking to the sky, satchel held in his claws as he flew back to the house and perched in a tree, preening his feathers and waiting for the three wolves to reach it.

Derek pushed himself this time around and he could admit that wanting to impress Stiles had something to do with it. Scott was a fast little shit, Derek had to admit that but he was not going to let the puppy beat him. 

Scott laughed as he ran, he could guess what Stiles had done and he couldn’t wait to see Derek and Laura’s expression when they found out.

Laura kept pace just behind the two Seconds, rolling her eyes at them as they barreled past the treeline into the front yard. She glanced back, expecting to see Stiles not far behind and sucked in a sharp breath when she didn’t see him at all. “Stiles?” She strained her ears and half wanted to hiss at herself for forgetting that Stiles was _still human_ even though he had extra abilities from the alpha powers.

Derek stopped so suddenly he practically stumbled over his own feet at his sister’s voice. His insides froze in fear, all traces of joy and play melting from him. Where were Stiles and what had happened to him? 

If a bird could have rolled his eyes there’d be a raven showing the whites of his right now. Stiles made a sharp caw then glided down to light on Derek’s shoulder, dropping his satchel on top of Scott’s head as he did. He nibbled his beak into Derek’s hair the same way he did his feathers.

Derek had a slight freak out as a large raven landed on him, a startled yelp escaping him, much to Scott’s amusement. 

It didn’t take long though for Derek to catch a very familiar scent from the bird and when he looked at it he saw whiskey gold eyes looking back at him. “Stiles?”

Stiles made a clicking noise, the look in his eyes somewhere between amusement and disdain, and went back to preening Derek’s hair, ignoring Scott’s cackling.

“That’s _Stiles_?” Laura exclaimed.

“Right down to the tailfeathers, watch him shake ‘em.” Scott’s cackling intensified. “Watch it before he pinches you Derek...though you deserve it.”

“What? Why?” Derek gave bird Stiles a suspicious look. 

“Because you ruined his plans...he wanted to ride you through the ground.” Scott rolled his eyes and Derek choked.

Stiles cawed harshly as Scott, clacking his beak at him before taking flight just to smack him with his wings before going back to Derek’s shoulder. He might be a little disappointed Derek hadn’t caught his hint but he wasn’t about to peck him for it.

“Wha...how?” Laura waved at the raven, “I haven’t met a magic user capable of taking another form, genuinely another form, ever.”

“That’s because there is no one like Stiles.” Scott was still very amused even with Stiles irritated with him. “He’s unique, one of a kind and he can do what no one else can do, what everyone thinks is impossible.”

Derek was awed and he carefully reached up and ran his fingers over sleek, glossy black feathers.

Laura watched Stiles’ feathers puff up and assumed he enjoyed Derek touching him by the way he leaned into it. “Let’s head inside. Zippy’ll want to hug her Daddy.”

“And we’d better check that Peter hasn’t gotten himself bound and gagged.” Derek agreed, still caressing the raven as he followed Laura inside.

Scott bounded in as quickly as he could, wanted to be with Allison as quickly as he could and make sure she was still alright.

Lydia looked up from where she was engaging in a sniping match with Peter to blink at the raven on Derek’s shoulder, “Who irritated him into flying back?”

Scott pointed at Derek gleefully. “This one. Poor thickhead didn’t understand that Stiles wanted him between his thighs all the way home.” 

“What’s that mean?” Ziva said from where Allison was braiding her hair intricately.

Boyd watched Scott choke and stumble over words a little bit before answering, “It means that because Stiles can’t run totally as fast as a werewolf he wanted to hitch a ride on your Daddy’s back. Probably opened with a question about how fast your Daddy can run and Derek probably took it as a challenge and took off before Stiles could ask. And then Stiles turned into a bird and flew back just to beat everyone here.”

“I’m sorry.” Derek murmured at the bird. He hadn’t gotten it and he felt like kicking himself because of it because he would have loved to have given Stiles a ride back.

“Scott is just a silly head who sucks at explaining things.” Erica said to Ziva.

“Oh okay!” Ziva watched the raven make a soft sound and rub its head against Derek’s cheek, “You can give Mr. Stiles a piggyback ride later Daddy don’t worry.”

Allison tied off the braid, “There you go sweetpea.”

And she was up and off going to hug her Daddy, “How long are you going to be a bird for Mr. Stiles? Is it magic?”

Lydia began filing her nails, rolling her eyes at the gleam in Peter’s eyes, “Yes it’s magic. Stiles will be a bird until he wants to actually say something.”

“And that can take anywhere from two minutes to twelve _hours_ ,” Melissa said, “on average. But I remember one time he stayed a raven for three days. I _still_ don’t know why.”

“I am not sure I want to know why.” John added. “Stiles usually turns into a bird when he is pissed and for him to stay in his raven form for three days, someone must have really made him angry.”

Derek gave the bird a worried look, he didn’t want Stiles to be mad with him. He hugged Ziva. “He makes a beautiful bird though, doesn’t he?”

Stiles’ feather fluffed in pleasure, making Ziva giggle.

“He looks like a feather ball!” She reached out and pet Stiles’ silky feathers, giggling more when he closed his beak very gently on her fingers in soft bird nibbles before hopping up onto the top of Derek’s head and rolling on his hair.

Allison chuckled, “He doesn’t _always_ stay a bird because he’s angry. I’ve always thought, when he stays a raven for a long time, that he does it because it’s _easier_ ,” she snuggled into Scott’s side.

Laura nodded, “Sometimes when being human gets to be too much werewolves will shift and stay wolf for a while. It takes the pressure off.”

Derek nodded. “Sometimes you need to just let go, let instincts rule you for a little while. Reload your energy and reboot so you can continue to cope.” Derek let Stiles stay where he was on his head and picked up Ziva, walking to a chair and sitting down with his daughter in his lap. 

Lydia eyed them, especially the shifting raven, before asking, “Do you know Morse Code Derek?”

“Yes...ish. I’m no expert but I know the basics and the alphabet.” Derek nodded at the redhead. 

She nodded and gave her attention to her phone, just as Stiles began tapping the side of his beak on the top of Derek’s head.

Laura decided to settle her butt down on the couch, right between Isaac and Erica, following the taps with amusement when she realized Stiles was telling Derek that he wasn’t angry. It was fucking adorable. 

Derek melted and his smile was like the sun as he realized that Stiles really wasn’t angry. He reached up with one hand and scratched at Stiles lightly, still smiling like a loon.

Peter made a face, they were too cute. If he didn’t love Derek he would have found it disgusting.

Laura crossed her legs, “So, while he can’t protest,” she gave Isaac a winning, wicked smile, “Tell me about how his belly dancing talent was discovered in detail.”

“Oh get ready for a story of a lifetime...edited for small ears.” Erica shot Ziva a look and launched into a story so unbelievable and crazy it seemed unreal. Involving lots and lots of tequila shots.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and Sex ahead. That is basically all that this chapter is, fluff and sex.

Stiles had turned back to himself after Ziva went to sleep so he could work with Laura and the others in coming up with a plan to deal with Kate. He had a feeling that their main plan wouldn’t work. They didn’t have an assured way to draw her out. No, as he got ready to lay down in the guest bedroom he’d been given, he could only think that this was going to cut it close for one of them. He punched his pillow and wiggled down into it before forcing himself to sleep. He could worry away at everything some more tomorrow.

He knew it was a dream, a familiar one, as soon as he felt the warm, strong arms around him and the hand that trailed fingers up and down his belly. It wasn’t a sexual touch, which always threw him somewhat, but rather pure affection. Whoever his mystery man was, he just liked to touch.

He never got much more than occasional glimpses of his dream man, a tattoo, a flash of stubble, the feel of those hands, and the shape of him pressed against his back, but what he got he committed to memory. Because the overwhelming feeling of love in these dreams was more than perfect.

Of course it always left him waking up with an ache in his chest but he could deal with that easily. He got out of bed and went downstairs for coffee.

Derek was already sitting at the large wooden table that he had made, a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. He couldn’t sleep, every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kate burn his family, saw how she had looked when she told him she wanted the child inside her to die. Knowing she was on her way, coming closer and closer to Ziva by the minute. It made it impossible to sleep. He needed to watch over his loved ones, so that he didn’t fail a second time.

Stiles turned the corner and paused for a minute before he got himself a mug of coffee and sat down next to Derek. He reached over and slid his fingers over Derek’s hand, curling them around it.

Derek smiled softly and turned his hand around on the table until it was palm up and he could thread his fingers through Stiles’ He didn’t say anything but it still made him feel better, sitting in in silence in the dark, with the man he had fallen madly in love with right beside him.

Stiles brought Derek’s hand up to his mouth and kissed his knuckles, the back of his hand, the hair tickling against his lips, and the heel of his thumb. “The first time I found out I could turn into a raven, I had gotten royally, hopping pissed off. So pissed off I came within a hair of tossing a lightning ball into the offender. But I couldn’t. He was an uninformed, asshole human so I just kept all that anger bottled up and the magic that came with it built and built until the next thing I knew, I had feathers.”

Derek nodded, he got it. “After Paige...the girl at the nemeton, after that...I was a wolf for three weeks. I didn’t want to shift back and not even my family, my mother, my alpha could make me. If it hadn’t been for the dreams, I don’t think I would have ever turned back...it happens you know, that one loses oneself to the wolf but the dreams helped me, they gave me hope.”

“Dreams?” Stiles asked curiously, “You don’t have to tell me of course but I am an insatiably curious thing.”

“I don’t mind telling you, there aren’t like dirty dreams. More like flashes, glimpses of warmth and comfort and _home_. Hope that everything can still turn out right. Flashes of skin and of freckles in the shape of the Star Trek logo. I don’t understand them but they have helped me through dark times.”

Stiles went still then swallowed, “Where you’re cuddled up behind someone, maybe they used to have a buzzcut, trailing your fingers over their stomach, sometimes they catch your hand just to do it with you, the Trek freckles on their left shoulder blade and every once in a while you’d kiss it before nuzzling into their neck?”

Derek’s eyes slid to Stiles, very wide and surprised. “Yeah.” He had to clear his throat, emotion clogging it up. “Yes, that’s exactly it… _exactly_. I can’t tell you the room we’re in or the color of the sheets in the bed but I can count the freckles leading down a knobby spine and how I make sure that we breathe in time together just because it makes me happy.”

“Twelve, the last one’s shaped like a heart right on top of a vertebra,” Stiles searched Derek’s face, “And you’ve got a birthmark behind your right ear shaped like a rabbit.”

Derek reached up and touched said birthmark before he could think about it. He had been teased so much for that birthmark by his siblings, told it went well with his bunny teeth. “I do.” Derek nodded and leaned closer to Stiles. “I have dreamt about you for as long as I can remember.”

Stiles closed the space between them with a whisper, “I have no idea what this means but so long as it’s you I’ve been dreaming about. I don’t care,” he rubbed the tip of his nose against Derek’s, “I probably should have figured it out from the stubble.”

“Lots of people have stubble.” Derek smiled against Stiles’ lips. “I should have known the moment I saw you though, how many people have the stars on their skin?” He reached up and traced the freckles on Stiles’ neck with a light finger.

“Stars,” he chuckled, “That’s a new one. They’ve been called a lot of things but never stars before.”

"Well they are stars, you even bear the mark of the federation." Derek smiled and brushed his fingers over Stiles' shoulder blade over his shirt.

He literally purred, “You know you being kinda geeky is just about the best thing ever,” Stiles angled his head and flicked his tongue out in a quick dart against Derek’s lips. 

Derek wanted to hear more of that purr, a whole lot more actually. “I think this is the first time ever for me that my geekiness has been a selling point.” Derek caught the tip of Stiles’ tongue between his teeth lightly and sucked on it.

And Stiles took gleeful advantage, pressing closer and sliding his tongue further in to explore Derek’s mouth, his hands going to the dark hair that hadn’t yet been gelled for the day and _holy shit_ Derek’s hair was soft. Like bunny soft even. And his _taste_ was in-fucking-credible and definitely addictive.

This was great, more than great. Derek had had his world shift around him once before, when Ziva was born and now it shifted again and Derek wasn’t even scared. He probably should be but he wasn’t. Stiles was just...wonderful. He licked his way into Stiles’ mouth and wrapped his arms around the other man, enjoying the subtle strength luring right beneath the surface.

Okay the hell with sitting beside Derek, with a hop and slide Stiles was straddling his lap, welcoming the werewolf’s tongue into his mouth and oh holy God yes that was a hand now resting on his ass. He purred again, scraping his nails over Derek’s scalp then lightly down the sides of his neck before shifting his mouth off if Derek’s to bite along his jawline, tongue scraping against the stubble that Stiles couldn’t help imagining rub all over him. 

The hand on Stiles’ ass tightened and Derek leaned his head back, he wanted to give Stiles free range to his neck because nothing had ever felt this good before. The other hand snuck underneath Stiles’ t-shirt, tracing fingers over smooth, warm and lovely skin. 

The sound Stiles made was _filthy_ , “Oh God. Derek...can I?” He kissed his way down, laving his tongue over Derek’s pulse, “Because of the alpha thing,” he kissed the skin thrumming under his mouth, “I can leave a mark behind. May I? Will you let me? Because as _bad_ as I want you to mark me up the idea of you wearing my mark,” he actually shivered, a flood of _want_ on several levels spiking his scent.

Derek nodded and made a broken sound. “I want...I want it, please.” He pressed Stiles against himself at the same time as he pushed up and tilted his head back even more. Derek wanted to wear Stiles’ mark on him, wanted everyone to see that Stiles wanted him enough to mark him. 

And Stiles just latched onto Derek’s neck like a fucking vampire, sucking and nipping and licking to bring the blood to the surface. He knew his eyes were red as he concentrated on leaving a mark that would stay for a few days, high enough no shirt’s collar would cover it, in plain sight for everyone to see and know that Derek was _his_. He bit down, just shy of breaking the skin, and rolled his body against Derek’s with a groan.

Jesus Christ, Derek was close to coming. He was close to coming from pushing up against Stiles, creating friction and from having his neck bitten and sucked on. He let out a moan that should be illegal, his fingers digging into the flesh of Stiles’ ass and raking down his spine.

And Stiles moaned right back, that scratch was just the right side of too much, and with one last hard suck he pulled his mouth up to inspect his work and grinned, breathing a little hard, his mouth shiny and red, “Perfect,” and then he was kissing Derek again, grinding his ass down against the hard bulge under it and leaning into the scratching.

Derek wanted to press his fingers to the spot on his neck, feeling the slight sting of pain and revel in it. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to touch that mark without getting hard for as long as it lingered on his skin. He kissed Stiles back with everything he had, filthy deep kisses and he pushed Stiles down on his lap and for all sense and purposes, dry humped the man on his lap.

And Stiles was a horrible person because he was still _completely_ aware of where they were but he did not give a damn. He slid his hand down Derek’s shoulder, over his chest and abs, and right into those loose sweatpants to curl around a hard cock that was _beautifully_ thick in his hand. He moaned into Derek’s mouth, imagining having the hard shaft he was stroking inside him, imagining being on his knees with Derek behind him pounding all sense and coherency out of him.

It didn’t take long, in fact when Derek got the ability to form sentences back he would most likely be embarrassed that it only took a few pulls of Stiles’ long fingered hand on his dick before he came hot and messily over the both of them. He whined into Stiles’ mouth, wanting nothing more than to return the favor.

Stiles absolutely _preened_ though, breaking the lip lock to press little kisses over Derek’s face as he pulled his hand off and out of Derek’s pants so he could rub the come into the skin of his belly, wanting to smell like Derek.

That was so hot and Derek’s spent dick made a very valiant though futile attempt at twitching at the sight of Stiles rubbing his come on his skin. “You are so fucking beautiful.” Derek shifted so he rubbed over Stiles’ belly too. “I am so in love with you.”

“Oh thank _God_ ,” Stiles murmured, nuzzling his forehead against Derek’s, “I was worried I’d fallen too fast and was going to have to wait a year before I could tell you.”

“If that’s the case then I have fallen too fast too and I would honestly be very upset if you waited a year to tell me.” Derek nuzzled back, pressing lazy kisses to Stiles’ cheekbones. He was just about to slip his hands inside Stiles’ pants when Scott stumbled into the room.

“Dudes...noooo.” Scott’s arm came up to cover his eyes and caused him to stumble and stub his toe on a kitchen chair.

“Silence toad,” Stiles sighed, “Do I even _need_ to remind you of the number of times I walked in on you and Allison in my kitchen, living room, and sweet Jesus that one time in my _bedroom_?” He reluctantly slid off Derek’s lap, shamelessly adjusting himself for comfortable walking. “It took me three _weeks_ to clear the smell out. I was stuck sleeping in the den. On the floor.”

“We have apologized for that over and over again, it was four years ago.” Scott carefully pried one eye open to see if it was safe and he was happy to see that Derek’s schlong was back in his pants. “You can do whatever you want, have all the swordfights you desire, I just wasn’t prepared to see and smell it at this hour.” He walked over to the stove and put on some water. “Allison is feeling queasy, I am just gonna make her some tea.”

“You should have _smelled_ it before you saw it,” Stiles said, grabbing Derek’s shirtfront and coaxing him up on his feet, “and consequently avoided walking in to see it and instead done the awkward throat clearing thing. You have such selective moments of failwolf,” he walked backwards toward the stairs, “Chamomile, not peppermint, and the ginger candies I always carry in my satchel. Now we’ll leave you to it and go spend too long in a shower.”

Scott waved them away with a rude gesture at Stiles. He didn’t care what they did in the shower, good for both of them if they were getting some. 

Derek wasn’t half as flustered as he thought he would be about being caught with his pants down. He supposed it was because Stiles was right, Scott should have smelled them and not have been able to walk in on them like he had. Plus, it was Scott, it would have been a whole lot worse if it had been Peter or Laura walking in on them...or Ziva.

Stiles pauses just long enough to grab a couple robes and then pulls Derek into a bathroom, locking the door, and crowding him up against it, hands on his hips, “To completely establish this, I love you. I love how _amazing_ a Dad you are, I love the sneaky little geek under the gruff frowny carpenter, which I also love, and the snark. So yeah, all of you Derek Hale, I love it.”

“And I love you.” Derek kissed Stiles before grabbing him and switching their positions so that Stiles was the one pressed against the wall. Then he sunk down to his knees in front of him, looking up into whiskey colored eyes. “If we’re gonna shower...we might as well get properly dirty before hand don’t you think?” He hooked his fingers into the waistline of Stiles’ pants but didn’t pull them down, not until he had Stiles’ permission to do so.

He groaned and shuddered, licking his lips eagerly before reaching down to trail his fingers over Derek’s cheek, “One thing to know, very, very important here. When we’re doing anything like this, if you need me to move my hands, never grab them or my wrists or forearms. Any kind of hand or wrist hold during sexy times is a no go okay? I don’t mind being held up or even held down a little, but never by the hands or wrists or forearms.”

A flash of worry made it into Derek’s mind but this was not the time for questions. He had his suspicions as to why Stiles felt that way and he did not want to push. He just nodded. “I promise, I never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.” That would take away the pleasure for both of them. Sex was about joy, pleasure and safety. He nuzzled the tip of his nose over Stiles’ happy trail, smelling himself there.

“I know. That’s why I said it now, cause I tend to grab hair and lose control when I’m getting blown and I didn’t want an accidental misstep caused by lack of information to mess the fun up you know?” His hips shifted at the nuzzle, his voice dropping huskily, “So yeah, info shared, and yes, dear God yes to your mouth on me, please.”

“Grab all you want, I don’t mind it.” Derek liked a small bite of pain as long as it was with someone he trusted completely. He looked up at Stiles from beneath his lashes as he pulled Stiles’ pants down his thighs so that he could get to his dick. Even his cock was gorgeous and Derek’s mouth watered. He gripped the base of it and licked a stripe from root to tip, humming happily at the taste. It had been years since he had given head but Derek loved it, loved the feeling and taste of it and he really liked being able to give his partner pleasure.

And Stiles’ head fell back and, just as he’d said, his hands went to Derek’s hair. Not tugging or anything yet, just sifting through, but they’d get grabby eventually. Derek’s tongue was hot, and wet, and really damned good at licking the best spots.

Derek didn’t think he would ever get tired of Stiles’ taste but he was a greedy bastard and licks soon became too little for him. He wanted more. He removed his hand from Stiles’ shaft and sucked it into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down as he hollowed his cheeks out and sucked. His hands went to Stiles’ hips instead, just holding them to give him leverage as he blew Stiles.

He made a high pitched keen and his fingers tightened in the soft dark hair of his lover. Christ but feeling Derek’s mouth on him, around him, the wiggling of his tongue against his shaft when Derek took him deep, was entirely too perfect. And he reveled in it, and just gave himself up to feeling, trusting Derek to look after him.

Derek wanted to be teasing, wanted to draw it out and see how far he could push Stiles without sending him over the edge, but he couldn’t. Not this time. This time he just wanted to please Stiles, to make him come and to taste him properly as Stiles would explode all over his tongue, Derek craved that. He buried his nose in Stiles’ pubic hair as he took him down his throat and growled around him.

And after their play in the kitchen, with the scratches on his back still making themselves known, that was all it took. Stiles’ pulled on Derek’s hair as he came, the vibration around him tossing him over, “God! Fuck! Derek,” he shuddered as he came, whined when he realized Derek was swallowing, and panted through his orgasm.

He continued to lick and suck gently through Stiles’ climax before he slowly let his dick slip out of his mouth and licked his lips. Stiles’ taste was addictive. He pressed a kiss to the soft skin just beneath Stiles’ navel and looked up at Stiles with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Oh God I think that’s my line,” Stiles let himself sink down so he could pull Derek in for another kiss, slow and slick and tasting of his own come, “Sexy, sexy wolf.”

“I think I prefer that over bunny quite honestly.” Derek once again smiled against Stiles’ lips, Stiles just made him happy. “Now let’s make use of this shower, we can wash each other’s backs.”

“I don’t know. I might just lick your tattoo,” Stiles grinned at him, “But I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

“I’m feeling daring today.” Derek pulled Stiles to his feet and slowly began to undress him. He had always believed Laura had splurged way too much on the huge bathrooms in the house but right now he was nothing but thankful for it. 

Stiles let Derek pull his shirt over his head and just wiggled his hips a little to have the sweats dropping the rest of the way down to the floor. His own hands went to tug Derek’s pants down, both getting a look at the uncut glory that had been in his hand earlier and just drooling over the gorgeous muscle of his legs and yeah, okay. Stiles wanted to lick at the hip grooves. Badly. Put it on the list. He slid his hands up to work Derek’s shirt off once his own was on the floor, “God you are like something Michelangelo carved out of marble.”

That made Derek flush, his ears turning bright red. “I’m really, really not.” He took Stiles’ hand and placed it over his heart. “All flesh and blood, full of flaws...trust me.” He turned and turned on the water.

“Good because I don’t do agalmatophilia,” Stiles couldn’t help himself, he had to slink up behind Derek and lick at the triskelion tattoo. “So flesh and blood and flaws is how I like it.”

“Good.” Derek shivered slightly as he felt Stiles’ tongue on his skin. He pulled Stiles into the shower with him, the water beating down on them. “If I lick your Trek logo...do you think Scotty will beam me up?”

Stiles burst out laughing, “That was _horrible_ ,” and kissed Derek, “I love you. Nobody’s beaming you up but I might just beam down,” he waggled his brows.

Derek cackled, loudly and happily and pulled Stiles in for a kiss before reaching for the soap. He was happy for any chance to have his hands on Stiles.

Even with the threat looming down on them, Stiles was happy. Because of Derek, because of this budding relationship with him, he was happy.


	16. Chapter 16

Allison made a disgusted sound and made Scott put the can of sardines back on the shelf, “No one but you likes those.”

Danny nodded, “Absolutely no one but you.”

“And no one will like _you_ after you’ve eaten them either.” Jackson sniffed disdainfully. “No one needs enhanced smell to smell your fishy stink.”

“Mean and cruel.” Scott whined. “I don’t complain about what you eat.” He gave the sardines a mournful look but cut his losses. “What’s next on the list?”

“Quinoa. Toss up on whether it was Lydia or Stiles who put it down,” Danny looked down at the list.

“It was Laura actually. She put that and wheat germ down. She says they’re grains with exceptionally high protein counts,” Allison plucked a can of cherry pie filling off the shelf, putting it in the section of the cart designated ‘pregnant lady foods’ that Jackson had suggested so she and Scott paid for her cravings themselves and didn’t make Laura foot the bill for the odd foods she’d been jonesing for. It had been a good suggestion.

Scott just went in search of the quinoa and wheat germ. He honestly had no idea what you used either for but he didn’t really care either. He followed the list and let Allison put what she wanted in her corner of the cart. 

“Why are we here anyway? Don’t the Hales usually shop online and have it delivered?” Jackson was already bored.

“Because we can’t trust anyone right now and Stiles doesn’t want any stranger crossing the wards around the house.” Scott rolled his eyes at Jackson.

Danny bumped his shoulder against his best friend’s, “And you’re here, specifically, because the rest of the furry brigade was patrolling the borders and Stiles gets...growly if Ally’s out and about with less than two fanged guardians when there’s a threat in town.”

“And Danny’s here because he is awesome and the only one besides Lydia that you actually listen to. Unless Stiles uses his alpha voice.” Scott leaned in and pat Jackson’s cheek. It was a childish move but Scott could own being childish at times. 

Jackson snapped at him before letting out a huge sigh. “Fine, let’s just get this over with then.” 

Allison reached over and squeezed Jackson’s bicep, “It’s appreciated. I know you all know I can look after myself but even I’m a little bit twitchy about being out while she’s here and I’ve got the bun cooking,” she put her hand on the slight swell of her belly that was hidden by her sweater, “so you guys being here helps.”

That was playing unfair. Not only were Lydia and Allison best friends but Jackson liked Allison and he had a soft spot for midgets, even though he tried his best to hide it. “You know we’ll always be here for you and the bun.”

Scott beamed at him and dumped the quinoa in the cart. “Atta boy.”

Allison poked her mate hard in the shoulder, “Be nice.”

Danny grinned. He got it. Allison wasn’t trying to play unfair with Jackson. She just wanted him aware that she appreciated him being here for her and the cooking bun. He looked down at the list and made a wolf whistle, “Oh now that is what I’m talking about.”

“What?” Jackson perked up and looked more interested as he leaned his chin on Danny’s broad shoulder, trying to peek at what the note said to get. 

“I see the ingredients for the Stiles Special,” Danny showed Jackson and noticed Allison’s eyes lighting up eagerly.

“Really?” Even Jackson looked pleased at that and Scott was doing his happy dance right there in the store. 

“We are definitely in for a treat then.” Scott kissed Allison’s cheek. Stiles didn’t make his special unless there was a special occasion. 

“Let’s finish and get back because if Stiles is making his special...I want it yesterday,” Allison said.

They finished the shopping quickly enough and headed out to the SUV Derek had let them borrow. Danny worked with Jackson to load the groceries in the back while Scott walked with Allison to see her into the car. Before she could open the door though, there was a loud crack and then Scott was hitting the ground, blood blooming on his chest, “Scott!” She started to follow him down, reaching for a hidden knife.

A hard, cruel hand clamped on her wrist and jerked her up and around, a gun pressed into her throat from behind and a female voice tsking out a warning to Danny and Jackson, who’d started to the rescue, “Ah-ah boys,” it was a smooth voice, “We wouldn’t want my finger to slip.”

“Let her go.” Jackson’s eyes flashed blue. Scott wasn’t moving and seeing Allison with a gun against her throat was enough to set his blood both boiling and freezing. The woman who held Allison pretty and Jackson could definitely see a likeness between her and Ziva but this woman was cold and warped and it made her ugly. “We _will_ kill you, you have no idea what a mistake you have just made.”

Kate Argent just chuckled, “Oh I don’t think so,” she nipped in and took Allison’s knife out so she didn’t have to hold her wrist any longer, and pressed it to the hidden swell under the sweater.

Allison’s breath left her and she froze, the sight of Scott losing blood on the sidewalk and the threat to her baby cutting the fight and the heart right out of her. “Stop. Please just stop this,” her voice trembled, “You can run, you can just leave and leave us all alone, live your life wherever you want. You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh yes I do,” Kate snarled, walking backwards with Allison toward another SUV, “I have a score to settle and I fully intend to see to it that every werewolf in this town dies.” She moved too quickly for anyone to stop her and shot Jackson in the knee, “Unless the monsters can stop me and rescue you.” She pistol whipped Allison into unconsciousness, tossed her in the SUV and drove away as Danny was screaming for help.

Jackson hissed because of course the bitch had used wolfsbane bullets, he wasn’t too worried about himself but Scott still wasn’t moving. “Call Stiles! We need Stiles.” 

A red medium priced sportscar zoomed past them, Victoria Argent driving it in pursuit of Kate’s SUV.

“I don’t think I need to,” Danny said weakly as a raven dove and landed beside Scott before shimmering into a red eyed Stiles.

Stiles placed his hand over the wound that was dangerously close to Scott’s heart and pulled the bullet up and out with magic before rubbing an ash mix into the wound, forcing the poison away and jumpstarting a healing. His expression was cold, and hard, and more pissed off than it had been in years. “Wake up,” it was full on alpha command to his Second, a demand for Scott to get his ass up and not die on him.

Scott opened his eyes with a gasp that was followed by wet coughs, He turned weakly as he hacked up black goo along with the blood that had leaked into his lungs as he was shot. “Allison…” He wasn’t stable enough to get to his feet but that didn’t stop Scott from trying to crawl in the direction Kate had vanished in.

“We’re getting her back,” it was a snap as Stiles moved to Jackson and dealt with his injuries, “and I am going to cut Kate Argent to pieces while she’s still alive.”

Scott trusted Stiles, he truly did but this was Allison and their bun. They were taken by a known killer who didn’t have a conscience. He continued to struggle to get to his feet despite feeling like he had been hit by a bus.

Jackson was impatient. “I’ll be fine, just go find Allison.” He put a bloody hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Find her and get her back...I’m so sorry for not being able to protect her.”

“It’s not your fault,” Stiles said, “So what I need you and Danny to do now is go and be at the school, make sure Ziva is safe while the rest of us hunt.” His eyes, still alpha red, met Jackson’s, “Because I trust you and I know you’ll keep her safe. I have faith in you Jackass.”

He left Jackson to Danny and went to help Scott stand, his hand glowing as he ordered Scott to vomit and smacked his best friend on the back, forcing the poison out in one violent surge of magic.

Danny helped Jackson into the SUV, tossing him a towel to mop up the blood on him, and got into the driver’s seat.

Jackson was quiet and grim faced as he wiped off as much blood as he could, he didn’t want to scare the children at school and he was not going to fail at this. He was going to keep Ziva safe.

Scott hacked out the last of the wolfsbane in his system, eyes flashing bright yellow. 

Stiles pulls him behind a car to hide them from prying eyes, “You’ll _wait_ for my signal to burst into where Kate is holing up,” the pack bond he had with Allison through Scott was letting him track her, because she was terrified and it made everything about the bonds flare up into screaming, sharp existence, “right Scott? I need you in control so we can get her and the cub back safe and sound.”

“I’ll try, I promise you that I’ll try.” It was the best Scott could do, the only thing he could promise. He wanted to obey Stiles and he didn’t want to cause any trouble or danger for any of the pack but he couldn’t promise. Scott was one spider thread away from snapping into a full blown panic and he was just trying to keep himself together and be useful in getting his mate back.

“Okay. Then shift, full wolf, and follow me,” he took the raven form again and waited.

Scott struggled to make the connection with his wolf. It was much more difficult this time around, with him being shot and the fact that his mate was stolen but finally he managed to melt into the huge dark brown wolf. He met Stiles’ eyes to show his alpha that he was ready.

Stiles took flight with a soft caw and they were both shooting through back alleys and across streets to where they felt Allison’s choking fear and desperation. He landed on Scott’s back when they reached a boarded up condemned house and gently pecked him to crouch behind a bush just below a window with the boards broken out. 

“Mom!”

Allison’s voice was panicked from inside over the sounds of a struggle and grunts and Stiles hopped up to see inside the house. And what he saw made Victoria Argent lift several levels in his esteem.

Kate hissed and barely managed to dodge the second sweep of the knife. When Victoria had shown up she’d at first thought her sister-in-law was here to help her. Until the redhead had pulled the gun on her. The graze on her arm was still throbbing like a bitch and the new knife wound on her thigh echoed it. She swept her foot out and connected with Victoria's knee, making her stumble but Victoria was the Argent Matriarch for a reason and this fight was far from easy. Every bit of ground gained was gained at a price. Her now broken ankle attesting to that.

Victoria was fighting with a cold fury, every move she managed to land, precise and calculated to do the most damage. She loved Kate, she honestly did. She had helped to train the younger hunter and she thought of her as a baby sister but Victoria loved her daughter more and she would die before she let even a single hair on Allison’s head come to harm. She managed to graze her knife along Kate’s stomach but the victory of that was short lived, Kate managing to strike at her kidneys and rib, making her gasp and spit out blood. “Let Allison go.” She met Kate’s eyes. “Let my daughter go.” 

“Never,” Kate hissed. She loved _no one_. She loved the hunt, loved spilling blood, loved having like minds at her back and manipulating them into what she wanted. “She loves the monsters, lays with them in honesty, she deserves to die with them,” she grunted as Victoria’s foot connected with her ribs, breaking several, and a large shard of glass that had been lying in the floor found its way through the air to slice down into her shoulder socket, a second kick driving it deeper but leaving Victoria open for a blade into her liver. Kate cursed when a knee came up and broke her face, nose and teeth both crunching before Victoria fell.

Stiles cawed and flew in, transforming on the wing to kick Kate away from the collapsed but still alive Victoria.

She was dying, Victoria knew that she was dying, knew exactly what a liver wound meant. She was bleeding out and she was bleeding out fast. She reached up, grasping Stiles’ elbow. “Take care of her...keep my baby safe.” Pale blue eyes locked on alpha red ones before the light went out of them.

Scott was still in wolf form and he placed one large paw on Kate’s chest, keeping her pinned to the floor.

“Mom!” Allison cried out and rushed over as soon as Stiles had snapped his fingers to get her free from the ropes Kate had bound her with, “No. No, Mom don’t...you can’t...please wake up Mommy,” she pulled her mother close, fingers searching for a pulse in vain and crying, “Please. I know we’ve been mad at each other but I love you. You have to wake up. Stiles,” she looked up at her alpha.

He shook his head, “She’s gone Ally. I’m so, so sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”

She sobbed and held Victoria’s body close, rocking and crying.

Stiles went over to take control of Kate from Scott, “I’ve got this, take care of Allison.”

Scott growled and snapped seriously long and sharp fangs at Kate before padding over to Allison. He shifted back and wrapped his arms around his crying mate, pulling her close and letting her weep out her grief. 

“She got what-” 

Stiles forced Kate’s mouth open and literally cut out her tongue before she could say anything more, “That’s enough out of you,” he heard a clatter at the door and glanced over his shoulder to see Chris, shotgun in hand, frozen as he took in the scene and then grief was a living thing on his face and he dropped his gun before joining Allison on the ground, taking his wife’s body from her.

Chris stroked Victoria’s cheek, still warm, and brought her close before letting out a scream of grief. He kissed his wife one last time, she was gone but this was the only goodbye he would get, then pressed his face into the vibrant red hair and cried.

Stiles was busy tying Kate up when he saw Laura and Derek in the doorway, staring at the scene of grief, he met Laura’s eyes and shook his head, jerking it to indicate meeting him outside.

She nodded and pulled Derek away, waiting at the window to help Stiles yank Kate, who was making grunts and odd noises, through the window.

Derek’s claws were fully extended and he longed to sink them into Kate and rip her black, shriveled heart out. He was glad that Laura had a grip on him because he was afraid that he might do something really stupid otherwise. 

Scott could only watch as Chris and Allison mourn the loss of a loved one.

Laura flicked a glance inside, “What happened?”

“Victoria ‘I am a Badass Mama Bear’ Argent protecting her daughter,” it was quiet, of the ones still in the house only Scott would have heard. He jumped out of the window, landing purposefully on the shard of glass still in Kate’s shoulder. 

Laura’s eyes went soft around the edges, “I’m sorry none of us got here earlier to help.” She glanced inside at the grieving humans then back down at Kate, who was glaring up at Stiles and Derek with loathing, “So what are we doing with this thing then?”

“That’s your choice,” Stiles said.

Derek looked down at the woman he thought he had loved once. He must have been so stupid, so stupid and so young and naive not to see the monster she was. Now she wasn’t even trying to pretend to be anything but. “She has to die. I don’t care how it happens but she is not leaving here alive. I will not have her as a threat to Ziva or anyone I love ever again.”

“Oh death is a given,” Stiles looked down at the woman, “It’s the how that’s up in the air.”

Laura closed her eyes and considered. Listened to the crying inside the condemned house, remembered Derek before Stiles’ advent into their lives, thought of Ziva, thought of Peter, and remembered her family. Remembered the lives lost because of the she-demon at her feet. She looked down at Kate, “I think some poetic vengeance is in order.”

Derek gave his sister a look, he just wanted Kate dead and a swift swipe of claws would see to that but he wondered what Laura had in mind. “What are you thinking sister? You want to burn her alive?” If that really was what Laura had in mind...Derek wasn’t sure he could be there for it. Oh he wanted to see the bitch die but he didn’t think he could stand the fire.

“Yes,” she had the satisfaction of seeing fear in Kate’s eyes, “I want to burn her alive. I want her to die the same way she took too many innocent lives,” and she _didn’t_ want Derek there for it. Because she didn’t want the blood of his daughter’s mother directly on his hands. She met Stiles’ eyes, saw the understanding in them.

“Okay.” It was Laura’s decision, she was the alpha and Derek couldn’t even say that he disagreed with her. He just couldn’t stand fire. He crouched next to Kate, watching as she coughed up her own blood to keep from choking on it. “Your daughter is brilliant, she’s kind and she’s funny and if you’re lucky enough to be loved by her...it’s the best feeling in the world. She is a beautiful werewolf and she is marvelous so I have to thank you. Thank you so much for giving her to me. Now I hope you roast in hell.”

Laura bent and lifted Kate over her shoulder, “You two help them,” she angled her head at the people inside, seeing Allison fling herself at her father, “I’ll deal with this thing.”

“Get Isaac’s input on witch pyres,” Stiles told her, “He did a paper on it and there’s apparently only one kind of pyre that had people dying from the actual burns and not smoke inhalation.”

She nodded, “I’ll do that,” and then she was carrying Kate away.

Stiles rolled his shoulders, “This...has not been a good day in general.” He hated knowing that Allison was hurting. That she’d been scared and now she’d lost her mother.

“No.” Derek stepped closer, his shoulder brushing Stiles’. Derek knew that Victoria Argent died hating his kind, she hadn’t had a change of heart or seen the light but she had gone down fighting for her daughter and Derek could respect that. He wouldn’t grieve the woman but he understood loss and he knew how Chris Argent and Allison were feeling right now. “No, it has not been a good day at all.”

He leaned into Derek for a moment, just soaking in comfort, then took a breath and went inside. He went over to the two remaining Argents and set his hand on Chris’ shoulder, “You need to go.”

Chris shuddered, “I don’t...her b-”

“I’ll take care of it Chris,” he met the man’s red-rimmed eyes, “She went down protecting Allison. She gets nothing but respect from me for it. I’ll take care of her.”

Allison looked up at him, and got to her feet, pulling her father with her as Stiles picked up her mother’s body, “Stiles...”

His eyes weren’t alpha red anymore, they were his normal honey shade, “I know. It’s okay,” he looked at Scott, “Go with your mate and her Dad bro. And remember not to flash the neighbors.”

“Ms. Fikles would canonize him,” Allison sniffled.

“Wait.” Derek offered and pulled a bundle from beneath his leather jacket. “They’re only sweats and a t-shirt but it beats being naked.” He handled the clothes to Scott who took them gratefully. Despite Chris feeling nothing but grief at the moment, Scott would rather not be naked with him. 

“Thank you Derek.” Scott hurried to pull the clothes on before he took Allison’s hand. All he could do was try to be there for her and for Chris the best he could.

“Jackson called as he and Danny were on their way to school. Told us that Scott would most likely be furry.” Derek pulled Stiles closer. “Ziva is fine and safe by the way.”

“Good,” Stiles gently lay Victoria down and touched her cooling brow. A whispered spell had all trace of anyone but Victoria and a ‘mystery’ assailant disappearing and then he was calling in an anonymous tip and pulling Derek out of the house with him. He made them invisible to the eye as cops pulled up. He stood with the older man as people came and went, his Dad arriving and a black body bag was carried out and loaded into the back of the dead wagon. “Let’s go.”

Derek nodded, silently wondering if the Sheriff found it difficult to work as he did, having to hide as much as he did from the people he worked with. Some day he supposed he could ask. “Yeah, let’s go...My back is free if you want a ride.” 

That got a smile from Stiles, “That’s a no brainer,” and he jumped onto Derek’s back, rubbing his cheek on his shoulder as his werewolf began running.


	17. Chapter 17

“Daddy!” Ziva ran out as soon as she scented her Daddy on the wind and had her arms around his waist tightly, “Is everyone okay? Is Mr. Scott? Is Allison? Mr. Stiles are you okay?” She looked up at Stiles and her Daddy in concern.

“Hi Fleapea.” Derek smiled at his daughter gently, as always blown away by the love he felt for this tiny little being. “Everyone is okay. Promise.” He crouched in front of her, Stiles still on his back. “Scott is with Allison and her Daddy. Allison is very, very sad because something bad happened to her Mommy but she’s not hurt and she and Scott will be back later.” Ziva was smart she would put things together and Derek didn’t want to be caught hiding things from her that she would find out anyway. 

Ziva’s brows knit, “Did Allison’s Mommy die?” She wasn’t stupid, she understood about the danger they’d all been in and she could draw lines between the things the adults talked around easily enough.

Stiles slid down off Derek’s back and crouched to Ziva’s level, “Yes,” he said softly, “So for tonight she and Scott are going to be staying with her Dad because she and her Dad need each other right now.”

“Like Daddy takes care of me when I’m sad,” it wasn’t a question and eyes that looked just like her father’s stared into Stiles before she moved from hugging her Daddy’s waist to hugging Stiles around his neck, “Don’t be sad Mr. Stiles, we can all cuddle her better when she gets back.”

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ziva, standing up with her in his arms. “Yeah we will. It just makes me all otherwise right now is all.”

“So we’ll all cuddle you right now...cept Auntie Laura and Mr. Isaac. Mr. Isaac went to meet Auntie Laura to help her with something but he didn’t say what. Everybody else is here though, and we can all cuddle you better.”

Derek nodded and cupped the back of Stiles' neck gently, a burst of pride shooting through him for his clever and perceptive daughter. Three of Stiles' pack were elsewhere, one who was in pain from loss and who had been terrified. Of course Stiles would feel out of sorts, not being able to be there for Allison and Scott right now.

"Fleapea is right, come on in where we can cuddle you properly." Derek nodded toward the porch where Erica, Boyd, Lydia, Jackson, Danny and Peter were standing. "Looks like they are all waiting." 

Erica was holding out a blanket, shaking it at Stiles in a come here motion.

Stiles’ expression grew endlessly fond, “Yeah,” he headed forward with Ziva still hanging on his neck. And was more surprised that it was _Boyd_ who was the first person to sidle up to him. Boyd was just as cuddly as the rest of his pack but he usually claimed his cuddles last because he took up more than one person.

Boyd murmured quietly so Ziva wouldn’t quite hear, her was hearing still developing the wolf sharpness and she could miss things, “Scott called. You gonna be okay, with the...mom thing?”

And Stiles melted for his pack’s biggest heart, keeping Ziva secure with one arm he wrapped the other around Boyd in a firm hug, “I will be. Let’s get inside. It’s chilly out here, and Erica looks ready to snatch me away and wrap me up like a burrito.” Trust Boyd to understand that he was hurting on multiple levels.

Erica did do her best to swaddle Stiles like a giant baby as soon as she could reach him and the whole pack pulled him inside where they could cuddle as close to him as they could. 

Derek followed behind at a slower pace, exchanging a look with his uncle. He knew Peter would be affected to, knowing that Kate Argent would finally be dealt with once and for all and that their family was avenged. 

“Alright, alright!” Stiles flapped a hand, “Derek on the couch please, Peter cop a squat beside him. I’ll sit in Derek’s lap,” because he wanted full body contact with his werewolf boyfriend and he was going to get it but he also understood that Peter was going to need his nephew’s comfort, “the rest of the circus can plop down where they please.”

Ziva peered at her Daddy and Uncle Peter over Stiles’ shoulder, “And hurry up so we can cuddle better.”

“Of course your Highness.” Peter made a flourishing bow, his hair actually sweeping the ground before he straightened up again and walked inside with Derek. Following orders and sitting down on the couch, leaving an empty seat for Derek.

Derek sat down and it wasn’t long before he had Stiles in his lap and Ziva stayed in Stiles’ lap. That was a good thing because without bragging, Ziva cuddles really were the best cuddles in the world.

Stiles wiggled back into Derek as Lydia pulled Jackson down with her onto the floor so they were pressed back against the legs Stiles had in between Derek’s and Danny joined them, a hand up on Stiles’ knee. Boyd sat with Erica on the other side of Stiles and Derek. Stiles reached over and squeezed Peter’s shoulder in understanding before he said, “Who has the remote. I vote we bring up the christmas music channel.”

“Awesome.” Erica cheered and clambered into Boyd’s lap. She loved Christmas with a vengeance.

Jackson groaned but reached for the remote next to him and pulled up the channel that vomited Holiday cheer.

Derek rubbed Stiles’ side with a broad, warm hand and let Peter rest his head on his shoulder. 

Hours later, when Ziva was falling asleep in Stiles’ arms and Jackson was actually pleading for a reprieve from the holiday music, Laura returned, Isaac following her inside. She went directly to where Peter was, sitting beside him, and curled her arms around her uncle, “It’s done.”

Peter let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around Laura in return. “You did well.” He continued to hold her close. 

She buried her nose in his shoulder and murmured, “I had help.”

Isaac was very quiet when he came in but he wasn’t horrified or even upset with what he had helped do. That should worry him but Kate Argent was a terrible person and Isaac honestly felt that the world was a better place without her in it.

“Scooch Eri, let the puppy in the pile,” Stiles said quietly, moving his hand from Peter’s shoulder to give Laura’s a squeeze, smiling when he got one back.

Erica shifted even more onto Boyd’s lap, patting the tiny sliver of free space next to her. 

Isaac grinned and smooshed himself down, pressing against Stiles’ side while he pat Erica’s hair with one hand.

Boyd ruffled Isaac’s curls with a soft smile that turned into a snicker as Laura doomed Jackson’s hope of killing the Christmas music.

“I like it playing. Makes me feel like home,” she said.

“It’s been playing for hours.” Jackson wasn’t whining, really he wasn’t. His head just hurt. He had been shot today and he had sweated the wolfsbane out the slow, normal way. He wasn’t complaining because he was well aware there were plenty of people in his pack who’d had a much worse day than him.

“And I’ve only been here two minutes. Wolf up or get an iPod,” Laura said, making Stiles laugh softly.

Lydia wiggled her hand down into her pocket, pulling out exactly that and earbuds for Jackson. Then she pulled him down so he could lay his head in her lap one he had the buds in, “Go to sleep.”

He put the earbuds in with a sigh of relief, choosing some instrumental, soft jazz and rested his head in Lydia’s comfortable lap. “Thank you, love you.” He closed his eyes and drifted off, his pack all around him, well most of it, and his mate close.

Danny looked around at everyone who was tucked together and remembered that he was the only person in this room who still had both _loving_ and _supportive_ parents, who’d never lost any family, who had family stories that would never cause him genuine pain. He leaned his head on Stiles’ knee and started talking, telling a story about the first Christmas he’d known Jackson and how he’d co-opted his best friend into the Mahealani family insanity and how Jackson had reacted to the Hawaiian folk tales his parents told every year.

Laura smiled into her uncle’s shoulder and listened, still holding Stiles’ hand. She appreciated Danny filling the room with more than just music. It let her concentrate on the good things and leave the bad behind.

Derek listened to Danny as well, smiling at some of the more outrageous stories he told about his family and his siblings. It seemed as if he had younger siblings about Zippy’s age and he wondered if his daughter could meet them sometime. It worried him a little that Ziva still hadn’t seemed to make any close friends at school. He didn’t think she was unhappy or teased but she hadn’t invited anyone home or asked to go visit a friend since she had started school.

On the subject of his daughter, she just let out a very impressive snore that had Derek chuckling into Stiles’ neck.

Stiles just grinned and closed his eyes. It wasn’t complete with Allison and Scott gone but it was as good as it was going to get for now. And it felt right having the Hales with them. He’d analyze that later though. For now he’d let Danny’s stories soothe him along with the presence of the rest of his people.


	18. Chapter 18

Chris gave his daughter one more hard hug then let her go so she could run to the Hale house with her fiance and nearly tackle Stiles who’d been standing with his arms open. He watched his little girl be surrounded by werewolves and the human pack a little numbly. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Peter popped up next to Chris from nowhere. He wasn’t even being sarcastic. He felt no grief for Victoria Argent but he knew Chris had truly loved her and Chris had lost both his wife and sister and that was tough. Peter knew full well how the loss of loved ones felt. 

He looked over at the werewolf and saw sincerity. He didn’t understand it. But he could appreciate it so he nodded in acknowledgement before looking back at Allison, and seeing his niece practically climbing her leg, saying something that had Allison bending to pick her up and cry into her shoulder, small hands petting her hair. “Help Stiles and McCall look after her when I’m not around.” Then he got into his SUV and drove away, uncomfortable on Hale land. His family had been responsible for too much loss for the Hales.

Of course they all would help taking care of Allison. Peter watched Chris leave, sighing a little. They were two packs, two alphas but Peter couldn’t help but feel like they were one family.

Scott hovered close to Allison. He was still feeling so helpless, not knowing what to do to make Allison feel better.

Stiles gripped Scott’s shoulder as Allison and Ziva murmured to each other, “It’s just going to take time,” he said softly, “and you’re just gonna have to be there for her,” he met chocolate brown eyes with a half smile, “Like you were for me, remember?” Scott had been the one to deal with his anger fits, coax him out of his depressions, help him through all five stages of grief after his Mom had died.

“I know.” Scott nodded and wrapped his arm around Stiles. “It just sucks you know, seeing her hurt like this and not being able to make it better.” It had sucked so much not being able to help Stiles either. 

He gave his best buddy a squeeze, “Hugs help, so does just being there when she needs it and not hovering...well you can hover cause bun in the oven. That is total legitimate hovering though it might still result in injury.”

Allison turned her head, her expression clearly saying that she could hear them, “Just don’t touch my chocolate or canned cherries under the guise of the health police.”

“No one would dare Ally, no one would dare.” Scott smiled softly at her. He would be there for her in any way that she needed from him. Hugs or if she just needed someone to scream and rage at, he would be there for that as well.

“Besides chocolate is good for you and the bun,” Stiles said, “Antioxidants.”

Ziva had slid down from Allison’s hold and took her hand, “You need to come inside where it's warm.”

Stiles grinned, feeling a bit better now that Allison was there with them, “I love that kid.”

“She is all kind of awesome.” Scott nodded with a small grin. Being back here with Stiles and the pack made him feel lighter even though he was still hurting for his mate. “Just like her cousin.”

Derek practically puffed up with pride for his daughter as he held the door open so they all could walk inside.

Allison let Ziva pull her inside and only tilted her head in vague mystification when she saw Isaac, with an alpha werewolf in his lap. When had that happened?”

Stiles nudged Scott in further so they could close the door and he could kiss Derek’s cheek.

Derek turned and caught Stiles’ lips for a quick kiss before Ziva ordered them all into the den and arranged them all around Allison for comfort cuddles. She was a little dictator but he loved her.

Scott sat down with Allison, giving Isaac a very curious look but the curly haired man didn’t say anything, he just stayed where he was, Laura on his lap.

Allison leaned her head on Scott’s shoulder and closed her eyes, the warmth of _pack_ seeping into her as the sounds and smells of everyone filled the room and a little girl chattered at her from where she was sitting on her other side.

Stiles nodded, paused just long enough to run a hand over Allison’s hair, then Ziva’s, before he announced, “I’ve got to get to work on the Stiles Special. I think yummy comfort food is just what we all need.”

“That sounds absolutely wonderful.” Scott agreed and wrapped an arm tightly around Allison’s shoulders as she leaned against him.

“I’ll help you.” Derek offered, he wasn’t useless in the kitchen and he never turned down an opportunity to spend more time with Stiles.

“Happy to have you.”

“In whatever way he can get you,” Lydia said in amusement.

“You focus on your mate Lydia.” Derek sniffed, he was finally getting to know Stiles’ pack well enough to dare to tease with them as he did with Laura and Peter. 

“Yes Lyds, focus on me.” Jackson agreed with a slight leer.

She just smiled, “It’s good to see you’re fully recovered darling. Perhaps now we can get back to that conversation about the different nursery themes I’ve been drawing up for Allison’s approval.”

“I suddenly feel very weak and trembly.” Jackson did his best look pitiful.

“Dude, suck it up.” Scott rolled his eyes. “You were shot in the knee, I took one to the chest and I am fine.”

Allison’s hand, which was resting on Scott’s knee, contracted, her nails digging in, “Don’t joke about that.” Her voice was strained, “You don’t...you dropped and I didn’t know if anyone was going to...just don’t joke about it okay?”

“I’m sorry love, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it as a joke, I promise.” He leaned in and brushed his nose along her cheek, ear and hair. Remorse filling the air around him.

She turned to kiss him, soft and gentle, “It’s okay. Just never joke about you getting near mortally wounded. It makes me want to rip into something.”

“Jackson’s an easy target,” Boyd suggested dryly, surprising a laugh out of Allison.

Jackson scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger but if being the butt of a joke could make Allison laugh then he was more than ready to own that. 

Stiles poked his head out around from the kitchen and mimed eternal platonic love for Boyd, who just nodded and accepted it as his due.

Allison shook her head, “I love you all so much. You’ll be hearing that a little more often for a foreseeable future too.”

Lydia got up to kiss Allison’s brow, “We all love you too Ally.”

“You can never hear or say that too much.” Erica said even as her gaze lingered on Boyd, she was seeing him differently now and she wasn’t sure how that made her feel. 

“So long as you mean it, it’s always a wonderful thing,” Laura put in her two cents automatically, “Even for the emotionally constipated like a certain stubbly woodworker I know.”

“Hah, shows what you know.” Derek called from the kitchen before he caught himself. Fuck! What had he just done? If Laura knew he had confessed his love...yes love for Stiles, he would never hear the end of it. He gave Stiles a slightly panicked look. “Do you know how to obliviate nosy older sisters?”

“Nope,” he said cheerfully, grinding up sausage, “But I do have a handy dandy silencing potion,” he said over Laura’s cackles, which increased when he asked, “What’s it worth to you?”

“I would be very, _very_ grateful.” Derek moved so he was pressed against Stiles’ back. “Is there anything I can do to persuade you?” He nibbled lightly at Stiles’ neck, mouthing at the uppermost vertebrae. 

Stiles pressed back against him, “Mmm I don’t know. It’d have to be _really_ worth my while. It’s a pretty complicated potion, time consuming. I’d have to demand equal recompense for it.”

“Well I am willing to do _anything_.” Derek grinned against the skin of Stiles’ back, afraid he sounded more like something from a bad Harlequin novel than actually seductive. He was having fun though. 

“Oh my God just make a date to jump each other,” Laura said from the living room, “We’ll watch Zippy no problem.”

“Shut up and enjoy your lap wiggling you harpy.” Derek shouted back.

“And furthermore I think you are too late.” Scott added with a wry grin. “They looked pretty jumped already a few days ago.”

“Not all the _wayyyyy_ ,” she sing-songed, “There’s levels and each one smells different, you should know that chocolate puppy.”

Stiles’ face was practically glowing it was so red.

Erica leaned forward and placed her hands over Ziva’s ears. “Laura do we have to have the talk?” She put on her best teacher voice. “You don’t have to insert part A into slot B to have proper sex or for it to count as going all the way.”

Jackson snorted into Lydia’s hair.

Laura grinned, “Different for a born male werewolf.”

Lydia’s cheeks took on a lovely pink and she coughed, examining her nails.

“Lydia, you’ve been holding out on us.” Erica’s brown eyes grew wide and interested. “Come on, you too Allison, we are going to the soundproofed library right now and you are going to spill everything.” 

“I am comfortable right where I am,” Lydia said, flipping a magazine page and marking it for future reference.

Ziva was sitting still and rolling her eyes. She was disappointed that Ms. Reyes had actually thought putting her hands over her ears would work. It wasn’t like she didn’t know about the birds and the bees, Auntie Laura had had to explain after the neighbors in one apartment building had woken her up. So she understood that her Daddy and Mr. Stiles would sleep together and have sex. She didn’t really care so long as they were happy.

“Well you’re no fun.” Erica pouted and removed her hands from Ziva’s ears, smoothing down blonde curls as she took her hands away. She turned her eyes back on Boyd, biting her bottom lip as she pondered the way she felt for him and what to do about it. 

Scott had been quiet but now he just stared at Jackson, looking slightly horrified. “Jackson, do you have a _knot_?”

Isaac snickered.

Danny snorted then started shaking, and soon he was cackling because he remembered that freak out. He remembered it so very, very well after the first time Jackson had been thinking about Lydia during his first _private_ time after becoming a wolf. Danny had been woken up by a screaming phone call about Jackson’s dick having some weird growth and they’d both called a very _unamused_ Stiles about the...problem.

In the kitchen Stiles ran his hand over his face and muttered, “I despair of Scott’s social skills so very much.”

Derek was shaking with amusement. “He’s your bestie, you practically raised him so I think you have to shoulder some of the blame for the things that come out his mouth and the failwolf that he is when it comes to walking in on private times.”

“I can hear you.” Scott complained.

“Good.” Derek called back. “Perhaps you can learn from it.”

“I’ve tried training him for years. It just doesn’t work.”

Allison was studying Lydia and pursed her lips, “Whatever Jackson has, I don’t think Lydia has any complaints.”

Lydia met her best friend’s eyes and smiled like a fat cat with all the cream and a canary, “Absolutely _none_.”

“Oh come on.” Erica let out a very wolfy whine as human as she was. “I want the dish da- darn it.” 

“Suck it up.” Jackson stuck his tongue out at her, deciding to ignore the fact that he could _feel_ how red he was in the face right now. He was sure he would be able to give Rudolph himself a run for his money. 

“You can weedle the dish out of Stiles once he and Derek have something to dish about,” Lydia said. 

“You’re not amusing Lydia,” Stiles called, “And Laura?” 

“Mmmm yes?” She was playing with Isaac’s hair absently. 

“Meow.” 

“Meow? What does that mea-ouch!” She felt something stabbing at her near the crack of her butt and rolled to her knees, slashing at it, only to have her jeans split open and a long, sinous, _feline_ tail curl out. 

Erica fell backwards, laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach. The expression on Laura’s face was priceless. 

Isaac just stared at the tail who was practically wagging in his face. Stiles could be so wicked when he wanted to be. 

Scott noticed that someone else had seen the wagging tail and was ready to pounce on it. Squiggles was already doing the pre pounce butt wiggle. 

Ziva giggled as her kitten jumped on her aunt’s tail and Auntie Laura yelped, the kitty ears now on her head pinning back. 

Laura reached down and grabbed the menace by the scruff of its neck just as her uncle came in and _stared_. 

Peter stared and stared before his lips curled up at the corners and he absolutely lost it. He was crying from laughing so hard. “Well hello there kitten, you want a ball of yarn? Or perhaps a nice saucer of thick cream.” 

Laura growled, low and angry at him, “I will claw your tongue out and shove the pieces up your-” 

“No bad words Auntie Laura,” Ziva chirped. 

“That’s right Kitty, no bad words.” Peter agreed, his eyes gleaming with evil amusement. “Don’t get your tail in a knot.” 

“I am going to _kill_ you,” she hissed, then pouted when all it did was make people laugh harder. 

Allison shook her head and wiggled so she was laying down, Ziva sitting in front of her chest, her head on Scott’s thigh, and closed her eyes. The baby made her tired enough, add in the grief lapping at the edges of her heart and she needed a nap. 

Scott ran his fingers through her hair in soothing movements, knowing that usually helped to relax her. 

Peter continued to cackle as he left the room again before Laura actually made her threat a reality. 


	19. Chapter 19

Laura, still sporting her feline attributes, sat next to Derek, “I’m sorry for teasing, and not wholly because of these _things_.”

Derek leaned in and kissed her cheek before reaching up to pull on a cat ear very gently. “I know, it’s okay.” Derek had spent his whole life teasing and being teased by Laura. He could get embarrassed and angry but he would be more unhappy and worried if the teasing stopped.

“So...um... _will_ it happen or,” she shifted uncomfortably. A born male werewolf’s knot didn’t manifest until he found his mate. It didn’t even always manifest after that. It was a special occasions sort of deal according to her mother.

“It will happen.” Derek was confident about that. He leaned closer so he would whisper in her ear, knowing not even the other wolves with be able to overhear. “We have dreamt of each other...all our lives. You remember the dreams after Paige, the ones I told you about? They were about Stiles. He is Star Trek dream dude.”

She inhaled sharply. She’d asked their mother about that, couching it in ‘a friend’ terms to protect Derek’s privacy, and Talia had explained about True Mates. That while most werewolves chose their mates by scent and chemistry fitting perfectly, some had people waiting out there for them, people that fit beyond chemistry and body, that fit right down to the soul. “Really? It’s Stiles?” Her eyes were shining in excitement.

Derek nodded, the tips of his ears turning red. “It’s definitely Stiles, I’ve had very visual proof. And he’s been dreaming about me too.” 

She squealed and tackled him to the ground, “That’s wonderful!”

Derek oomphed as his back hit the floor but he just chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding his sister tight. “I think so yeah.”

“No thinking, certainty. This is absolutely wonderful. Do you have any idea here? You and Stiles are literally perfect for each other on every level. This could only be more awesome if he was capable of giving Zippy siblings.”

“Who says he can’t. There are surrogacy or adoption options. If we have a child like that, somewhere way down the line then that child would absolutely be Zippy’s sibling in every way that counts.” 

“I know thaaaaat,” she snuffled at him, “Just...you and Stiles would make a really cute kid is all, genetically together I mean.”

“I think I should be concerned that your sister is delving into the realm of mpreg,” Stiles said as he came out with the kindling bucket.

“Believe me Stiles, this isn’t even remotely the most disturbing realm my sister has delved into.” Derek grinned and tickled Laura’s sides. He did agree with her though, if it was possible he and Stiles would make adorable babies. 

She shrieked with laughter and wiggled to capture his hands.

“Since I’d really like to _not_ get a pregnancy potion slipped into my morning juice...allow me to be concerned.”

“It’s not like it’d do anything,” she grunted as she wrestled with Derek.

“...” Stiles focused a little too intently on gathering kindling.

Derek continued to wrestle with Laura until his mind caught up with him. “Wait? What? Pregnancy potion? That’s a joke right? Nothing like that can exist...it’s like Harry Potter territory there.”

“But a potion to make me lose my voice is believable? A lot of witches use pregnancy potions and give them out too,” Laura growled and tried to pin her brother, rolling them off the porch, “Works wonders for women who have difficulties with the lady plumbing.”

Derek was not giving up, he would not let Laura have an easy victory as they were rolling over brown winter grass and the occasional spot of snow. “Yeah, a potion that makes you lose your voice is a hell of a lot more believable than a baby making one. All you need to do to lose your voice is to irritate your vocal cords...a baby is a little more complicated than that.” He moved to tickle her behind her left knee, knowing it was a major weak spot.

“Both are fueled by magic,” Stiles said as Laura shrieked and kicked Derek, hard in the shin.

“What he said. A non-magic human could make something to irritate the vocal cords but it’d have to be breathed in, not drunk.” She shoved a handful of snow down his shirt. 

“Fuck.” That was cold and Derek got a headache just thinking about magic, it made no sense to him, the rules of magic and what you could or couldn’t do. “I’ll just leave magic to the experts I think, everyone will be happier that way.” He grabbed a fistful of wet, brown grass and mushed it in Laura’s face.

She bit him, then spit out blood and dead grass, “Uck! Good idea. Means I can consult for misery. I gotta wonder what a pregnancy potion would do to a man though. If I slipped some to Stiles would he get the symptoms or would it just have no effect.”

“Neither,” it was a mutter from Stiles who snapped his fingers and had the tail and ears disappearing.

“You’re not slipping Stiles anything you harpy.” Derek’s palm was already healing from being bitten. He popped his claws out and sank them into her butt.

She yowled and kneed him in the groin, rolling off him cackling in triumph as he whined and curled into a ball, “But no I wanna know. What effect would it have Stiles?” She danced over to him, draping herself over his back, “Pleeeeeease tell me?”

“Yeah...no. You’re a little too invested here I think.”

“Any babies will have to come from Stiles’ junk though because you have wrecked mine.” Derek wheezed out, still on the ground. It didn’t matter that he was a werewolf, being kneed in the nuts was never a fun experience. “One day I’ll knee you in the boobs and see how you like it.” He glared at Laura.

“Hah! You’d have to catch me,” she drawled, “And you’ll heal just fine you whiner.”

“He’d better. I have _plans_ for that junk,” Stiles said.

Derek knew he would heal, he was just in blinding, searing pain until he did and it took much too long for his liking and it proved that his sister was evil, evil and twisted. 

“Stiiiiiles answer my question,” Laura rubbed her cheek on his shoulder, “Or I’ll have to experiment. What do you develop if someone slips you a pregnancy potion.”

“A uterus,” it was dry and should have been sarcasm but Laura couldn’t hear the slightest difference in Stiles’ heartbeat.

“Laura, drop it.” Derek rolled off the ground and stood up. He had heard the honesty and he didn’t want his sister to keep on pushing. “I’m serious sis, time to drop it.”

She put on a sigh, her mind whirring though, and stole the bucket, “I’ll take this. You tend the whiner’s wounds.” Then she dashed inside to deliver the kindling, and then grab her uncle because this stank of needing research.

“Are you okay?” Derek looked over at Stiles. “I know that Laura can come on a little strong. She digs her teeth into things she wants and she doesn’t let go until she has gotten it. Just like the wolf she is.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a little weird and always has been every time I think about it,” Stiles walked over to his boyfriend and started brushing snow and dirt and grass and leaves off him.

Derek tilted his head, sniffing lightly at Stiles’ neck. “You don’t have to answer this but how come you’ve been thinking about it, about that potion in the first place?”

“It’s not the potion. It’s a me thing,” Stiles tilted his head to give Derek better access, “and has been ever since I realized I had magic. See magic is all about _intent_ and desire. And sometimes, if you don’t keep a good solid hold on your unconscious desires your magic can work to fulfill them accidentally. So when I got the shot of nemeton knowledge I also got the knowledge about that and things I should keep a damned close lid on just in case. I am _capable_ of fiddling with my innards to the point of being able to conceive and that was the example the tree used when explaining what unconscious desire can do. It’s sort of something that pops up in my head every once in a while.”

“I see.” Derek shifted and pulled Stiles close, hugging him as he scented his neck. “Thank you so much for telling me. We’ll be careful then, because no matter how much I am in love with you, I don’t think either of us is ready for that just quite yet.”

“No, definitely not. One day, but not yet. So...yeah condoms are gonna need to be a thing. Um...are there any special werewolf condoms? That accommodate,” he slid his gaze down Derek’s body slowly, “the knotting issue?”

A dark brow rose and oh yes, things were definitely healing down there if the twitching was anything to go by. “Regular condoms work fine. They fit more than you might think. And it’s a knot, not soccer ball.” He grinned. “Besides...if we should have any issues...I doubt I can grow a uterus so…” He looked over his shoulder down at his butt. “You could always tap that.”

“I fully intend to at some point but I am also highly invested in having your cock up my ass. Seriously, there have been fantasies and wet dreams.” Stiles lifted an eyebrow, “So yeah if it won’t break, definitely you in me the first couple of times.”

Derek dropped his head onto Stiles’ shoulder. “Stiles.” It was a breathy whine. “You’re killing me here. I want that too, so much...as you can probably feel.” 

“Mmmhmm, I’d say you’ve recovered,” Stiles stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Derek’s neck, “So should we talk about not sexy things so you can calm down or should we hop in my Jeep, stop by a drug store, and christen the bed in your house?”

Looking up at the house Derek shuddered in want. “Is option two, truly an option? Because if it is….two, I say two!” He was a little wild eyed as he leaned in and kissed Stiles deeply.

Stiles purred into Derek’s mouth, biting lightly at his bottom lip, “Two is absolutely an option. We’ll just tell the yahoos in there not to wait up, give Ziva a hug goodnight, and be on our way.”

"Yes please...fuck yes." Derek hadn't known he had a thing for biting until he felt Stiles' teeth on him. Now he wanted to feel them all over. "Let's do that." Gods he wanted Stiles in his bed, wanted to make it smell like Stiles, make Stiles' scent there permanent.

“Come on then,” he snagged Derek’s wrist and pulled him back into the house. He poked his head into the living room where a debate on Spock versus Data was taking place, “You can’t compare them, they had different goals. Compare Janeway and Picard, it’s more fun. Derek and I are going out, don’t wait up losers.” 

"Be safe Zippy and make sure everyone behaves." Derek called to his daughter, knowing Ziva would be well taken care of. He didn't want to hang around so someone or something could stop them from going so he just waited for Stiles to grab the car keys.

"Have fun!" Erica shouted. "I expect all the dish later Stiles."

“Now you know I don’t kiss and tell,” he winked at her as Ziva poked her head out from the stairway.

“Keep my Daddy safe.”

“You know I will Princess,” he gave her a smile.

“And he’s gotta keep you safe too.” She looked absolutely adamant.

Derek had to smile, once again so very proud over his baby girl. And baffled that it looked like he was actually raising her somewhat right. "I promise to all in power to keep Mr. Stiles safe and happy." Derek knew Ziva could hear his heartbeat and tell that he was speaking the absolute truth. He wasn't talking about just now either...Derek wanted to keep Stiles safe and happy for as long as he was allowed to.

“Okay. Love you Daddy.” She smiled at Stiles, “Love you Mr. Stiles.”

And that easily punched the air out of Stiles’ lungs. He cleared his throat and returned her smile, “Love you too Princess.”

Scott noticed Stiles’ expression and he was happy for his best friend but he was worried too. He hoped this would end well, he really did because Stiles was already in so deep and if this ended badly. Scott wasn’t sure there would be enough pieces left of Stiles’ heart to glue back together. “Be safe boys.” He grinned, not wanting to drag the mood down with his concerns.

“Be good Fleapea, love you more than there are stars in the universe.” Derek walked up to the stairs so he could hug and kiss Zippy.

She wrapped her arms around him with a happy giggle and kissed his cheek, “Don’t worry. I’m showing Uncle Peter how to throw a real tea party.”

Stiles grinned and moved up to snuffle at her hair and kiss the tip of her nose, “Take lots of pictures.” He heard Laura proclaiming that she was so on that further up the stairs.

Ziva wiggled out of Derek’s hold, “Auntie Laura no starting without me!”

Derek watched her race back up the stairs, happy that she was alright and not sad that he would be spending the night elsewhere. He smiled and turned back to Stiles, eyes dark with heat and promises of what to come. “You ready to go?”

“Just get out already!” Jackson shouted. “The stench of sexual frustration you two give off is making me nauseous.”

Stiles heard a smack and Lydia hissing something at Jackson he was pretty certain meant the white wolf would be experiencing some sexual frustration of his own soon enough. He smirked and pulled Derek out by his hand to the Jeep. 

Derek grinned, he couldn't stop. When they got to the Jeep, Derek hurried to push Stiles against the side of it and kiss him breathless. The he pulled away and slid into the passenger seat, trying to think of the fastest way to the drugstore.

Stiles had to take a moment to get his knees to support his weight again after that kiss but then he was climbing into the driver's seat and starting the engine. “Nearest one is on Old Plank Road. Take about five minutes max to get there then ten to your place.”

"Then what are you waiting for? Drive Stiles, drive like the wind...just don't get pulled over by your dad." Derek flashed Stiles a grin, feeling easy and free in a way he hadn't for years. 

“Horrible pun, you should leave the punning to me,” he pulled out down the drive, “Besides I’ve never been legitimately pulled over. Like ever. Definitely not happening tonight.” He obeyed the speed limit to that exact end and pulled into the drugstore parking lot.

"Wanna come with me and make the cashiers uncomfortable and sort of horny or do you want to stay here?" Derek licked his lips and looked over at Stiles. "Also tell me if you have any preferences, ribbed, flavored, glow in the dark...anything like that." 

“Kinky,” Stiles leaned in to follow Derek’s tongue with his in a quick flick, “I don’t wanna waste the time it takes to make the cashier uncomfortable so I’ll wait right here while you get regular condoms and lube. I just want it to be you and me this first time, we can get super kinky with our condoms and lubes later.”

"I'll hold you to that." Derek licked his lips to savor Stiles' taste and slid out of the car. He was pretty sure he would make the cashier uncomfortable all on his lonesome because he had a massive hard on that didn't seem to be going anywhere. He glared at his crotch as he walked in and grabbed a simple pack of condoms and a bottle of lube.

Stiles had to reach down and readjust himself thinking about what Derek was in there getting, about what they’d be doing soon. He could almost feel Derek pressing against him all naked skin and heat and it made him fucking tingle all over.

Derek returned quickly, having practically thrown a twenty dollar bill at the cashier who hadn’t been uncomfortable as much as interested. That had put a damper on Derek’s boner like nothing else could but knowing that Stiles was waiting for him in the car helped to perk it back up. He shook the paper bag in front of Stiles triumphantly like he had just scored the grandest of grand prizes and his grin was wicked. “Back with the goods.”

He reached over and squeezed Derek’s thigh before having to use his hand to shift gears and get back on the road. “So how many condoms did you get?”

Opening the the paper bag Derek pulled out the jumbo sized pack of condoms. “Hopefully enough.” It wasn’t that they had to have a lot of sex though Derek really wanted to. He just wanted to be prepared, he didn’t want anything to ruin in this night.

Stiles’ grin was sultry, “Oh we can knock half of those out easy if we want.” He took his hand off the gear shift and stroked the backs of his fingers over Derek’s cheek in a tender touch.

Derek leaned into the touch for a moment, knowing that Stiles would have to concentrate on driving. That was the best part of this, the tenderness. Derek really did love Stiles and that would make this night so much better, the love and affection and the burning need to just touch Stiles. “Can’t wait.”

He gave the stubbled cheek one last pet then went back to driving with most of his attention. He was curious though, “Is your bed a Derek Hale original?”

“The frame is yes.” Derek nodded, his skin tingling where Stiles had caressed him. “I couldn’t find a bed that I liked so I built myself one.” 

“Good. That way I know it’s werewolf sturdy,” he changed lanes and hit main street.

Derek’s eyes turned dark and heated again. “Oh you don’t have to worry about that. It’s a bed built to last.” Granted Derek hadn’t thought about wild sex when he built it, more along the lines of a certain blonde haired cub jumping on it but he had a feeling he would never look at the bed the same way after tonight. He looked out the window, watching shop fronts turn into domestic neighborhoods and his heart picked up, knowing they were coming closer and closer to their destination.

It didn’t take long before Stiles was pulling into Derek’s driveway and unbuckling his seatbelt. He reached over and trailed his fingers along Derek’s thigh, “Let’s go then Big Bad.”

“I’m neither very big nor bad but I do like that nickname better than anything related to a rodent.” Derek caught Stiles’ hand and brought it to his mouth to nibble on his fingers. He got out of the car and waited for Stiles to do the same before pulling Stiles toward his house.

“Bunnies are not rodents,” Stiles pressed up against Derek’s back, running his lips along the back of his neck, “And you are just big and bad enough for me.”

“Good, that’s all that matters to me.” Derek shuddered and tilted his head forward, baring his neck as he fished through the pockets to get his keys so he could unlock the front door.

Stiles ran his tongue over the fine hairs at Derek’s nape, his hands running up and down Derek’s ribs possessively, “I love that you’re wider than me here. It’s all muscle and bone and strength and I love it. Makes me feel safe and shielded.”

“I’m glad.” Derek was very well aware of the fact that Stiles didn’t need anyone to shield him or fight his battles for him but he was still very happy that Stiles felt that way. “I love the differences between us too, makes us fit like pieces of a puzzle. And your long legs...drives me crazy.”

He nibbled very lightly on Derek’s neck, “Mmm what if I told you I have a mini skirt and a pair of bright red, man killer heels in my closet?” 

Derek groaned, his mind painting very vivid images of Stiles in that skirt and heels. “I would say that is definitely one of the kinks we have to revisit later.” He wanted Stiles in the skirt, long legs wrapped around Derek’s neck and the heels digging into his back as they fucked...oh yes, he wanted that very, very much.

“Open the door Derek,” Stiles’ voice was husky, “Because I want you naked and pressed against me. I want us in that sturdy bed of yours. I want it to smell like us. I want your scent in my skin so everyone knows I’m taken.”

Growling deep in his throat, Derek was ready to kick the door in to get Stiles and himself inside when the lock finally clicked open and he could swing the door open. He dragged Stiles upstairs and into his bedroom without pause, wanting to make everything that Stiles said reality. “Off.” He pulled on Stiles’ clothes even as he was halfway pulling his shirt over his head at the same time.

Stiles yanked his hoodie and his shirt off easily enough, kicked off his shoes, and undid his pants, then promptly got his feet tangled in them, went off balance, and started to fall with a squeaked, “Shit!”

Derek stared for a while at the tangled mess of limbs on his floor. It was a pleasant view since Derek was getting an eyeful of a very round, very perky ass. “You okay?”

“Peachy,” Stiles snarked and managed to roll over and kick his pants off the rest of the way, leaving him in his boxers that did _nothing_ to disguise how hard he was. He wiggled his socks off with his toes, looking up at Derek with hungry eyes that roamed his lover’s body.

“Well you certainly look good enough to eat.” Derek’s mouth watered and he would be happy to blow Stiles again if that was what Stiles wanted. He unbuttoned his black jeans and pulled down the zipper carefully, showing that he wore nothing underneath.

Stiles moaned at that sight then got up to his knees and helped Derek pull the painted on jeans down his legs. Once they were in a pool on the floor he ran his hands back up those delicious legs, the hair on them a rough tickle and he leaned in to run his tongue along the groove of a hip. 

Derek hissed and shuddered. His eyes locked on Stiles and on the glimpse of a pink, wet tongue, running along his skin. “Shit Stiles, god you look gorgeous like that.”

“Mmm if I’m gorgeous I don’t have words for you,” he nipped at a hip bone, rubbed his cheek on Derek’s thigh, then slowly rose up along the werewolf’s body, kissing and licking along the way, until he was taking Derek’s mouth in a sizzling kiss. His hands were a little busy getting rid of his boxers though.

Derek moved to help but got the distracted by the piercing in Stiles’ navel. “This is so sexy, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it the first time, knowing it’s hidden under your clothes.” He breathed the words against Stiles’ lips, in between heated kisses. He finally managed to help Stiles push his boxers down and off and then he reached around and grabbed two handfuls of that amazing ass, squeezing it.

He purred and pressed close, “It was a quiet little rebellion against all the weird. I felt I should have something that wasn’t supposed to be done that wasn’t supernatural.” He ran the tip of his tongue under Derek’s top lip then gave a little hop and wrapped his legs around the other man’s hips, “Grab the condoms and lube and take me to bed Derek.”

“With absolute pleasure.” Derek replied and reached for the paper bag he had put down when they got undressed. He walked the few steps to the high, very sturdy bed and tumbled them both down on the soft cotton sheets. “Your skin against mine...if feels like home.” Derek couldn’t explain it better than that. He looked down at Stiles and bent down to take a small, pointy nipple into his mouth.

Stiles arched up with a hiss of pleasure. He’d played with his own nipples before, and they were sensitive, but no one else had ever even touched them, not even Ethan, so this was a new experience. And it was a damned good one. He drew his bottom lip through his teeth and carded his hands through Derek’s hair as the werewolf’s entirely too clever mouth made his thoughts hitch and stutter.

Derek continued with what he was doing, adding a little nibble when he noticed just how much Stiles liked this. His hand came up and played with Stiles’ other nipple. There was a fleeting in thought in his head that somewhere along the line, he might talk Stiles into getting matching piercings for these pretty, pretty little nipples. 

A strained whine escaped him and he rolled his body in a smooth undulation, looking for a little friction, “Holy God, Derek.” His hands slid down, onto Derek’s back, and his nails raked up, not too hard but he knew Derek would feel it. “I don’t know if it’s possible but Christ I might actually come from you playing with my nipples. I kinda don’t want that right now. Because I really, really, _really_ want you inside me.”

Derek looked up, lips swollen and red from sucking on Stiles’ nipple. “One more thing to add to the revisit later list.” He opened the paper bag and took out the bottle of lube, sinking down Stiles’ body, kissing the skin as he went.

He stopped when he was splayed between Stiles’ legs and he flipped open the cap of the lube. “Ready for this?” He poured lube on his fingers and rubbed them gently over Stiles’ furled opening.

“God yes,” Stiles growled, “I have damn near worn my favorite dildo out after dreams of you Derek, so yes. I am ready to have you open me up so you can fuck me into oblivion.”

Groaning Derek bit his own lip as he slowly and gently worked a finger inside of Stiles. Hot tightness gripping him. Gods he wanted to be inside him, his cock was already weeping from want of it. “I want that too, you have no idea how much I want it.” He added another finger and used his free hand to roll Stiles’ balls in his palm.

Stiles moaned at the caress and the intrusion and pressed back into both. It didn’t hurt. He was eager enough, _hungry_ enough for Derek that he had no problem relaxing into the penetration. He licked his lips, “If it's half as much as I do I’m shocked you didn’t jump me sooner.” He wiggled a bit impatiently, wanting more.

“I wanted to, believe me but there wasn’t exactly the right time for it.” He twisted his fingers inside Stiles’ curling them against Stiles’ prostate before adding another finger. The way Stiles’ took them so well showed that more prep wasn’t really necessary but Derek refused to hurt Stiles just because he was in too much of a hurry to do things right. He ran his fingers up and down Stiles’ dick in a teasing touch and leaned in to kiss at the inside of Stiles’ thigh.

He made a desperate little sound, lightning arcing through him at the fingers prodding his prostate, the touch on his dick barely enough to distract from it, “Fuck! Oh God please, please Derek.”

“Please what?” Derek licked his lips and brushed his fingertips over Stiles’ gland again. He fished out the box of condoms and tore it open, spreading small foil packets everywhere. He grabbed one of them and tore it open with his teeth, sadly he had to remove his fingers from Stiles’ ass to be able to roll it on.

The needy whine he let out might have embarrassed Stiles if he’d been less desperate for Derek, “Please get inside me. Put your cock in me, make love to me,” because as desperate as he was, as needy, this wasn’t simple fucking, “Please.”

“I’m trying to get there.” Derek hissed out between gritted teeth as he rolled the condom on all the way to the root, making sure it would cover his knot when it would form. He grabbed the lube bottle again and added some extra slick to his latex covered dick before placing himself in the cradle of Stiles’ hips. He leaned down and kissed Stiles deeply as he guided himself into Stiles’ waiting body.

Stiles’ legs curled around Derek’s hips again, his arms sliding up under the werewolf’s so he could stroke his hands up and down Derek’s back. He moaned as he was filled, the thick rod of Derek’s cock pushing into him, spreading him wide open, stinging in the most delicious way. He sucked on Derek’s tongue and arched up to meet the long thrust eagerly.

Derek growled into Stiles’ mouth as he bottomed out inside of Stiles. It felt so good, extremely good and Derek had to still for a moment or else this would all be over before it really started. “I love you.”

He nuzzled along Derek’s jaw, soft, affectionate, “I love you too,” he scattered kisses along the stubbled skin as he reveled in being so perfectly full. “You feel amazing.”

“You too, you feel absolutely incredible.” Derek shifted and moved a little, moaning throatily at the sensation. He had no words for how wonderful Stiles felt. He grabbed Stiles behind his knee and pushed his right leg up before he began to thrust in earnest. He couldn’t hold back any longer.

The change in angle made him gasp and if his nails dug into Derek’s ass, well apparently his lover wasn’t complaining. Stiles arched and moved with Derek as well as he could, chasing each frisson of pleasure that ripped through him. Each hard thrust tightened the coil of ecstasy in his stomach and he babbled and cried out sharply for Derek. Some of what escaped his mouth was filthy but most was calls to a higher power and expressions of delight with a few curses.

Derek wasn't in any state of mind to even notice what Stiles was saying. He didn’t know what he was saying himself. He was just riding on sensations as he fucked Stiles into the mattress. He kissed Stiles again before nibbling his way down Stiles’ neck and chest until his mouth found a nipple again.

Stiles’ body bowed sharply, his nails raking hard up Derek’s back, “Fuck!” He panted and shivered and whined. Oh God just that added little bit had him so close, Derek’s rhythmic thrusts rocking him closer and closer until he could feel himself teetering on the edge of orgasm.

His knot was expanding, Derek could feel it with every thrust, making it catch on the rim of Stiles’ hole with each movement. It was a strange feeling, something Derek had never felt before. It wasn’t a bad feeling though, quite the opposite. Derek had a feeling he would come harder than he ever had before. “Come for me Stiles, come.”

And he did, shooting his semen onto their stomachs with a long, loud keen, clutching Derek to him and shaking so hard he almost thought he’d fly apart.

Feeling Stiles clench and spasm around him drove Derek out of his mind. He growled and he could feel his teeth and claws elongating as he he thrust faster and harder until his knot was fully inflated, keeping them locked together and making it impossible for Derek to move. He came with a low howl, his teeth worrying Stiles’ neck without breaking skin.

Stiles cried out with the massive stretch of Derek’s knot expanding inside him, it was almost, almost too much though the orgasm still shuddering through his system overwhelmed any pain or discomfort that might be there. It pressed against his prostate and kept aftershocks of pleasure jolting through him. Derek’s teeth on him, leaving a mark didn’t exactly do anything to dampen it either. He panted and carded his fingers through Derek’s hair, loving the closeness, the connection.

Derek pretty much collapsed on top of Stiles. They were messy and sweaty and Derek loved. The whole room smelled of them, of their combined scents and it felt so right. It was how it should be. He rolled over to his back, taking Stiles with him so that Stiles was on top. It would make it easier for Stiles until his knot deflated.

Of course it was one hell of a feeling having that shift while they were still tied together. Stiles squeaked then shivered a little before relaxing onto Derek, “Ho-lee sheet,” Stiles nuzzled at Derek’s neck, “I think I saw the other side.”

“Sorry.” Derek ran his hands up and down Stiles’ sweat slicked back, his still extended claws raking across Stiles’ skin, leaving thin, red marks behind. Stiles was still hot and tight around him and Derek’s eyes widened when he realized that he was still coming. He really hoped the condom would hold for this.

“For what? That wasn’t a complaint. Oh God no complaints at all here,” he licked at a bead of sweat on Derek’s skin, humming at the salty taste. 

“Oh...good.” Derek was still not all there. His mind rattled and scrambled by really, _really_ good sex. 

Stiles knew Derek was still coming, and he ran his hands lazily up and down the werewolf’s arms as he murmured so softly Derek wouldn’t be able to pick out what he was saying. He murmured incantations to strengthen the condom, just in case. Once that was done though he gave his full attention to stroking and soothing Derek, rubbing his cheeks against the skin he could comfortably reach.

Derek shuddered as he finally stopped coming. He felt absolutely wrung out in the best way possible. His knot started to deflate and he groaned as his dick slipped out of Stiles. He leaned up and kissed Stiles again before reaching behind him to pull the condom off and tie it up before tossing it into the waste basket. Then he fell back against the sheets, his arms coming around Stiles and holding him close.

Stiles burrowed into him, kissing Derek’s pulse, “It’s a very nice bed by the way.”

“Thank you.” It was very simple, made of dark sturdy wood, nothing fancy about it, clean, simple lines. “I hope you will spend a lot more time in it.”

“That hope be not in vain,” Stiles smiled against Derek’s skin, “I’m going to be in your bed so much you’ll find it hard to remember what it was like not having a mattress leech.”

“I can’t find any downside to that.” Derek smiled and pressed kisses to Stiles’ neck and shoulders, tracing freckles with his lips and tongue.

Stiles just purred at the attention, “Good. I’ll bring over some of my pjs later then.”

“If you must.” Derek let out a sigh though he smiled against Stiles’ warm skin. “As much as I want you naked all the time, some pjs is probably a good idea since Zippy’s idea of a nice wakeup call is to jump on you.”

“Mmmhmm, maybe we should sew bells on her nightgowns,” Stiles chuckled, “Give a little warning.”

“I swear she would find a way to move without setting them off. She is sneakier than sneaky when she wants to be.” Derek laughed happily. “It’s her teaching squiggles to move soundlessly, not the other way around.”

Stiles grinned, “That furball knocks more things over than I did before I was put on adderall. It is _definitely_ Ziva teaching stealth.” His fingers found the birthmark behind Derek’s ear and gently rubbed over it.

And Derek turned into boneless pile of bliss. His ears and the skin surrounding it was extremely sensitive and Derek almost ended up in blissed out coma when someone touched or played with his ears. 

Stiles just made a soft, almost coo, and continued to play with Derek’s ears. They might have another round or they might fall asleep, either way that was later. Stiles was fine where he was right now.


	20. Chapter 20

Chris shuffled from foot to foot outside the Stilinski home. After the funeral she and Scott had gone back there to stay along with the rest of Stilinski’s pack. All four Hales were around a great deal as well. So he wasn’t exactly certain about this. But it was Christmas Eve and he had some things for his daughter.

The door opened and Peter stood in the doorway, Ziva bouncing right next to him. “Do come in Chris, you’re wearing a whole in the very nice front steps and Zippy here is afraid that you will scare Santa off with all your pacing.”

“Not _Santa_ Uncle Peter, Santa doesn’t get scared. His _reindeer_. Deer are skittish.” She looked at Chris, “You can come in Mr. Allison’s Dad, Stiles said so.”

“Well if I have Stiles’ permission,” he carried the box up the walk and steps, pausing when neither werewolf moved to let him pass.

“Peter move your furry butt. Chris isn’t shadowcat, he can’t walk through you,” Stiles’ voice came from the kitchen.

“Nag, nag, nag.” Peter wrinkled his nose. “I was just telling him to come inside...like you told me.” He moved to the side so Chris could move past him before he closed the door. “Reduced to a doorman and a lackey...ghastly.” Peter muttered.

“It’s a step up from the illegal creep,” Chris murmured, “slipping onto high school grounds.” He carried the box into the living room, almost backing out when he saw Laura Hale in a fierce lip lock with Isaac Lahey.

“Ah, I don’t dispute the creep part but I have never been illegal or gotten caught doing anything illegal.” Peter snickered at Chris’ expression at seeing Laura and the puppy. “No mistletoe required for those two.”

“Which is good because mistletoe isn’t allowed around here,” Allison came over to kiss her father’s cheek, “Daddy. What brings you here?”

“I brought you some things,” he indicated the box.

“Come inside properly Mr. Argent.” John motioned toward the uncomfortable man. “Join us for dinner please. No one should be on their own on Christmas Eve and you have family here.” John remembered how he had felt the first Christmas after Claudia had passed away. 

“I-” Chris’ gaze flicked at Derek, knowing he was far from comfortable with Chris’ existence.

Stiles poked his head out, “Sit down, show Ally what you’ve got for her, and don’t make me tie you to a chair. God only knows what Peter would say.”

“I would dance around it in glee and trim Chris in fairy lights and treat him as my private Christmas tree.” Peter smiled slowly before going back to where he had been playing with Squiggles, using a ribbon.

Laura snorted, breaking her kiss with Isaac, “I actually think Mr. Argent would bite parts of you off in that case.”

Ziva ignored her uncle and Auntie Laura and tugged on the bottom of Chris’ jacket, “You are gonna stay right Allison’s Dad?”

It hit Chris right in the heart because he could remember Kate before their father’s poison turned her cold and unfeeling, and this little girls’ face looked so much like when his baby sister had pleaded with him to teach her to ride a bike. He could do nothing but nod and move to sit on the couch.

“Well done Zippy.” John ruffled her honey colored curls adoringly. He was so in love with this little girl and he loved to spoil here. “Can I offer you some eggnog while we wait for dinner?” He turned to Chris. “Stiles has thrown us all out of the kitchen, we were apparently messing up his system.”

“Derek is allowed to stay, he just got pulled out in the flood,” was Stiles’ casual response.

Allison giggled and whispered, “He lies. He kicked Derek out because Derek was a distraction.” She sat beside her father, “And the nog isn’t spiked.”

Chris cleared his throat, “Sure John, that’d be appreciated.”

“Just a moment then.” John smiled at Chris and walked over to the table where the eggnog was. His grin widened when he saw Derek sneak back into the kitchen, he wondered how long it would take before Derek was kicked out a second time. “Here you are.” He handed Chris a mug shaped like a Santa’s head.

Chris took the mug with an amused expression. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a santa mug actually used before.

“So,” Ziva perched herself on the coffee table, “What’d you bring for Allison?”

“Zippy, it’s rude to ask that.” Isaac furrowed his brows. “That’s Chris’ gift to his daughter. It would be like Allison asking Derek what he got for you while you were still in the room.” 

“But he’s got them there, in the box, and they’re not even wrapped.” She didn’t see the correlation.

Allison glanced down and saw that Ziva was right. The box had a great deal of things in it but only one was wrapped.

Chris set his eggnog down, “That’s because most of them aren’t Christmas presents.” He reached down into the box and pulled out an old, well worn stuffed lab puppy.

“Oh! Hershey,” Allison took the plush and brought it close.

Scott sat down next to Allison, sensing her emotions. It was clear that these were things from her childhood and from the look of the stuffed puppy it had been very well loved. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as Chris fished out more things from the box.

Some things weren’t old, hadn’t been hers, and she knew her father had been ducking into baby stores and picking up things that caught his eye, things he’d thought she’d like for her baby. But one of the most precious gifts was a beautiful painting the size of a sheet of printer paper in a lovely ebony frame. It had hung in her nursery, she knew it had hung in her father’s and even Gerard’s. It was of Little Red Riding Hood, all grown up and watching a wolf hiding in the bushes. “The Curious Wolf.” She smiled, “I remember liking your story a lot better.”

Chris smiled, “I didn’t want you to grow up afraid or to lose your curiosity.”

“Sounds like an interesting story, you have to tell it to us some time.” Scott also smiled softly, taking in Ziva’s wide curious eyes at the story and the painting.

Peter felt more respect for Chris, for how he had raised Allison. Chris was a hunter yes but he had raised Allison to be what she wanted to be and that deserved respect.

“Maybe but I think Allison will have her own story to tell,” Chris reached down into the box, placing the wrapped gift on the table before pulling a bundle wrapped in cloth out, “Every parent does when they get the painting.”

“That’s so cool.” Scott leaned closer. “So do you paint a new painting or do you add to the old one?” Scott forgot that he was a little afraid of Chris still. This was interesting and Chris would be their child’s grandfather. Scott was hoping that they could have a good relationship with him despite their history.

“Neither. The painting has always been this, Red and the Wolf watching each other, a part of a larger story. Every generation has built their own story around why they’re staring and what happens to them.”

Allison smiled, “Daddy’s story has them curious about the strange creature they’ve never seen before, learning a few things, then the Wolf leaving to go back to his pack because it’s not safe near the village and Red keeping the secret that there are wolves in the forest.”

Lydia nodded in understanding, “Teaching mutual respect.”

“It’s a good start.” Peter nodded as well, picking up a tired Squiggles in his arms and scratching the kitten beneath his chin. “Next step is more than respect I hope, l knowledge and an actual meeting between the two.” 

Allison exchanged a look with Scott, a small smile, “Oh I’m pretty sure it will.”

“Okay out! You’re distracting!” 

Lydia smirked when Derek came scurrying out of the kitchen, “There’s a fairy tale we should get painted.”

“What the horny alpha and the randy wolf?” Jackson raised a brow. “Not too sure how inspirational that would be.”

“She’s talking about the true mates thing, not the...other thing. Right Lyds?” Isaac looked up at his friend before returning his attention to Laura Hale and her very tempting earlobe.

“Mmmhmm. The Wolf and the Mage. It has a nice ring to it,” Lydia poked her mate lightly, “And certainly less cloying than those two,” she nodded at Scott and Allison.

“Sugar and honey mixed with syrup would be less cloying than Allison and Scott.” Jackson nodded and just grinned when Scott scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger.

“They are not as sweet as you assume,” was Stiles’ contribution from the kitchen.

Allison shook her head, “Are you ever going to get over that?”

“Nevah!”

“Get over what?” Erica looked up from she had been busy making a lipstick kiss collar all around Boyd’s neck. “Are our sugar cookies secretly freaky? I need to know!”

“No one can out freak you Erica, don’t worry.” Isaac rolled his eyes.

“Ziva’s school teacher that.” John muttered at Chris.

“Better than Allison’s music teacher when she was six,” he murmured back, the cloth bundle still in his lap.

“Oh God I forgot about her,” Allison shuddered, “and I was happy with that fact too.”

“What did she do?” Scott knew it had happened years and years ago and that there was nothing he could do but he still felt overly protective and if the woman had done anything to upset Allison, he might actually track her down and make her pay.

“Be creepy, from a six year old’s perspective?”

Chris shook his head, “She had a sideline,” he glanced at Ziva, “and met with gentlemen callers while her students practiced scales in another room.”

“Of course once M-Mom found out I wasn’t taking lessons anymore,” Allison reached over to grip her father’s hand.

“Well you shouldn’t have been,” Erica came up for air again. She and Boyd were a new thing but now that she had realized her feelings for him she couldn’t keep her hands or lips off of him. “I hope she lost more than her teaching licence.”

Scott shifted so Allison and Chris could sit closer together. 

Chris nodded, “She was arrested on several charges. Vicky was never kind when it came to the possibility of someone hurting Allison.”

Allison rested her head on his shoulder and pat the cloth bundle, “What’s this?”

“It’s...your mother was never particularly...craft orientated though her mother-”

“Nana Bjorn could knit a sweater faster than a speeding bullet,” she nodded, still confused.

“Well when you were eight and you made that life plan, the one where you put in Olympic Archer and Personal Trainer and then...”

“A Mommy just as great as mine,” Allison whispered.

He nodded, “You always liked to look after your cousins then too so Victoria decided that it would be...wise to go ahead and make this, so she could finish it by the time you became a mother.” He opened the bundle and pulled out the forest green baby afghan made of the softest yarn imaginable, “She finished it just before you graduated.”

Scott stood behind Allison, knowing how difficult this had to be for his mate. He didn’t hover, not this time because he was aware that she might seek her comfort from Chris, from the other person in the room who had known a different Victoria Argent. Scott just wanted her to know that he was there for her if she needed him.

Derek felt sad for Allison and even Chris and he wished that Stiles hadn’t kicked him out of the kitchen, he felt like an intruder on their moment now.

She brought the afghan to her cheek, eyes tightly shut. She could actually smell traces of her mother’s perfume in the yarn and her heart ached. Even when she’d been so _angry_ about Scott, she’d still worked on this, still made it for her future grandchild. “Did...did you tell her?” She looked at her father.

“About the baby? Yes,” he ran a hand over her hair, “After the neutering discussion she went and got the box together herself. She’d never have apologized but-”

“She’d have been a good Nana,” Allison nodded and hugged Chris, the afghan between them, “You’re going to be a wonderful Grandpa you know.”

Scott nodded, feeling more warmth for Victoria Argent now than he ever had before and he felt a profound sense of sadness that it happened when there was nothing he could ever do about it. “You will be a wonderful Grandpa and we hope you know that we want you to be a big part of our baby’s life...of our lives.” Life was too short to hold grudges and Chris was family. 

“I...old habits will be hard to break,” Chris admitted, “I don’t genuinely _believe_ you’d ever hurt Allison but she’s my little girl.” It was a soft admission, “I’m overprotective and I have seen...” he shook his head, “It will be difficult but you are a good man Scott. And you’re good for Allison. You’ll make a good father.”

"I was really scared about that." Scott admitted, meeting Chris' eyes. "About being a good father, my own was beyond crappy you see. Then I realized that I have all these awesome dads around me to ask for advice, like John and Derek and...you." The last word came out more like a question than anything else.

“Careful kid. You’ll wind up trying to chase me off with a broom after that open invitation.”

Allison gave her father a squeeze, “No he wouldn’t. That’d be my job.”

Scott smiled at Allison adoringly, his whole face just lighting up with love as he looked at her. Not even Chris could miss how much Scott loved her. He beamed at her before turning back to Chris. “If you get too intrusive, I’ll sic Mom on you. You may be a hunter but she’s is a whole lot scarier than you’ll ever be.”

“I remember,” it was dry and punctuated with the rub of a finger over an eyebrow where a thin scar sat.

Stiles came back in, carrying a tray of cookies, “That was a picture, M’liss with a frying pan standing over the body of her son’s girlfriend’s father.”

“In my kitchen, in my robe, dripping wet from my shower. Yes I’m certain it was,” Melissa sighed and shook her head before explaining to the Hales, “And the worst part is that this was _before_ the Argents knew Scott was a werewolf. Chris came over to return a textbook Scott had left behind, got worried when no one answered the door even though the car was in the drive, and checked the door.”

Stiles was snickering as he dropped down into Derek’s lap, “Melissa had forgotten to unlock it so Chris assumed the worst and went in with his concealed .22 drawn. Melissa heard the door open, assumed home invasion, called me and Dad, then slipped downstairs with a decorative frying pan to lie in wait. As soon as a head came into view, down came the frying pan.”

Derek did his best to keep a straight face, he really did but he wasn’t succeeding. The imagery of Melissa McCall braining big bad hunter Argent over the head with a frying pan was priceless.

“Mom’s a star.” Scott sounded nothing but proud. “Never one to back down, she’s tried to brain Stiles with a bat on several occasions...keyword here is tried. Stiles had always been a quick little weasel.” Scott didn’t mention that he had tried to do the same, when he thought Stiles was a creeper coming through his window.

“Chris went down like a sack of bricks, when I came to the scene there was blood everywhere since a head wound bleeds so much.” John shook his head. “I was afraid she had killed him.”

“ _I_ was afraid I’d killed him and Stiles just stood there, laughing.” Melissa frowned at him.

“In my defense I could hear that he was breathing,” Stiles couldn’t pick up heartbeats but he could hear people breathing better than human hearing, “Then he groaned and Melissa jumped a foot in the air and practically into my Dad’s arms.”

“ _After_ trying to hit him again. She would have if Stiles hadn’t stopped her.” John grinned, he hadn’t minded at all, getting Melissa running into his arms. “And another hit might just have killed Chris.” His lips were twitching.

Derek lost lost it and burst out laughing because this was just too great. 

“I got away without a concussion, fortunately,” Chris said, “and four weeks of being laughed at in my own home.” Victoria had considered him to have gotten his just desserts for not thinking to call ahead. For a month every dinner had been a skillet meal.

Derek was still laughing, wiping his tears away with the cuff of his henley.

Scott was chuckling too and he was happy to see that Allison was smiling again, she smelled happier too and that was something Scott was very pleased about. 

Melissa rolled her eyes, “I _still_ get frying pans as gifts at work and my boss calls me Rapunzel now.”

Ziva swung her feet before making the decision to move into Allison’s lap, “Cause Rapunzel knocks people out with her frying pan?”

Allison blinked then helped Ziva settle into a more secure position on her lap, absently playing with blond curls as Melissa answered in the affirmative.

“Well that’s silly, everyone knows the first person Rapunzel smacked was Eugene and you didn’t smack the Sheriff.”

“What do you mean?” Scott blinked at Ziva not getting it at all. What did it matter if Melissa hadn’t smacked John first?

Derek looked at Stiles, his expression conveying his bafflement when it came to Scott. Was Stiles’ best friend really, truly that oblivious? He had to fake it right?

“Oh it’s real,” Stiles murmured softly, “Completely real.” Scott was smart when he paid attention. The problem was that he was usually paying attention to Allison or his studies. Multi-tasking wasn’t his buddy’s strong point.

Ziva looked at Scott, “Your Mama and Stiles’ Dad love each other silly.”

Scott’s jaw dropped and he looked between John and his mom and back again. “No...really? No…”

“Scott,” John looked slightly pained. “We have been dating for over a year now. We haven’t exactly been secretive about it.”

Scott was still gaping but then a light came into his eyes and he launched himself at Stiles, clear across the coffee table. “DUDE! We are going to be bros for real!”

Stiles oofed as Scott’s weight had him pressed back into Derek, not exactly a bad state of affairs except for the best friend leech attached to his front. He rolled his eyes and shook his head before ruffling Scott’s hair, “ _If_ they decide to do more than date. And excuse you,” he wiggled his hand so Scott saw the micro thin scar still on his palm, “We are bros for real, blood brothers through thick and thin remember?”

“If he doesn’t I do,” Melissa muttered. That had been a _terrifying_ experience.

“I remember.” Scott pressed his hand to Stiles’. His scar had disappeared when he was turned but he would always remember where it had been and what it symbolized. “Still it is a great thing. Our sprog will have two grandpappy’s.” He stayed sprawled over Stiles as he turned to John. “When are you making an honest woman out of my mother?”

John groaned and rolled his eyes. 

Melissa lifted a brow, “Are you suggesting I’m not honest Scott?”

“Well,” Scott drew the word out as if waiting for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. “I’ve known you to pull a fib or two.”

“Oh I wouldn’t go there Scott.” John had a warning tone in his voice. “Especially since I don’t see a ring on Allison’s finger yet, and you two are starting a family.” 

“We _are_ engaged. And Stiles knows the date,” Allison said, “As does Lydia. I’m _choosing_ not to wear a ring for a multitude of reasons.”

“Gets in the way of the draw,” Chris murmured absently.

Scott beamed at his girlfriend once more. Nothing she did could ever be wrong and they were mates. It was something stronger than any engagement or even marriage and they didn’t need any visible symbols to know it was real. That didn’t mean he still didn’t look forward to marry his dream girl. 

John just smiled, not minding to be put in his place, he found it adorable the way Allison and Scott defended and stood up for each other.

Allison smiled at her mate, “But it’s your Mom and John’s business whether they want to get married or not. Don’t poke them about it.”

“Fine, sorry.” Scott sighed. He got it, he did. He just wanted his mother safe and looked after. Scott knew she could look after herself perfectly well but she shouldn’t have to. “I won’t poke or prod or nag about it.”

“Good, because I am very capable of out-nagging you,” Melissa said, “As you and Stiles are aware.”

“ _Well_ aware,” Stiles drawled and poked Scott’s shoulder, “Dude go nuzzle your mate, you’re pressing me into my distraction and we both know where that will lead and we both know you don’t want to smell it.”

“I really, really don’t.” Scott agreed empathically and scrambled off Stiles to go back to Allison. He sat back down on her free side and kissed her cheek, pulling lightly on Ziva’s curls as well.

“But I kind of like you right where you are.” Derek blew into Stiles’ ear as he whispered into it and his hands came around Stiles’ waist.

“Surrounded by family here Big Bad,” Stiles murmured even as he snuggled back into Derek, tilting his head to the side to let him nuzzle better.

“I know.” Derek agreed and rubbed his nose along Stiles’ neck, careful not to let it go too far since they were in fact surrounded by family. He would have to let Stiles go...for now. “Coming home with me and Zippy later?”

“That’s my plan,” Stiles turned his head so he could bump his nose against Derek’s, “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t nip any of Santa’s cookies.” He winked.

“As long as I have something else to nibble on,” Derek squeezed Stiles’ waist. “I think Santa’s cookies will be safe.”

“So cute.” Erica cooed at the two of them, her lipstick slightly faded from having kissed Boyd as much as she had.

Boyd was busy hiding a happy smile in her hair. He could hardly believe Erica was at last returning his interest. It was everything he’d ever wanted, “I’m just glad Stiles can be cute with someone now,” he murmured, “He’s happy.”

She nodded, firmly placed in Boyd’s lap and doubted she would ever want to move from it. “I am happy for him. Stiles deserves this so much.” Erica caught one of Boyd’s hand in both of hers, playing with his fingers. Stiles was so important to all of them and his happiness made the rest of them happy too.

He hummed his agreement.

Laura remained in Isaac's lap, leaning her head against his shoulder, and considered what she’d been dwelling on recently again. It was already like they were all one pack, she should really talk to Stiles about making that official. After Christmas though. She didn’t want to rock the happy boat they were all on.

Isaac was running his fingers through Laura’s glossy, dark hair. He was in awe, it felt like a dream that this gorgeous, amazing woman was interested in him. He didn’t understand it but he wouldn’t draw attention to how far out of his league she really was, he just thanked his lucky star that she was here, in his lap right now.

Lydia, well she was quietly observing everyone in the room, assessing the currents and relationships, and she saw a change coming. She wasn’t sure about how she felt about that so she just snuggled further into Jackson and started to debate the merits of pink and purple over yellow and purple with Allison.

Derek did finally release Stiles before he wouldn’t be able to and watched rather sadly as his lover disappeared back into the kitchen. 

Scott was braiding Ziva’s hair but even he could see that it didn’t look very good. He had feeling his hairdressing skills would not be Ziva approved when she saw what he had done to her hair.

Chris cleared his throat, “You’re too nervous about pulling too hard. Makes it too loose.”

Zive pat Scott on the knee, “It’s okay Mr. Scott. It took Daddy _ages_ to figure it out.”

“It did.” Derek agreed because it had. Gods he had struggled to make himself somewhat capable of handle Ziva’s wispy hair. “I practiced on Laura until she threatened to kill me in my sleep.”

“Or shave you bald. That was an option too,” Laura said, playing with Isaac’s fingers.

“Believe me, I remember each and every threat vividly.” Derek’s brows rose as he looked at his sister. “Still hair grows, coming back from the dead isn’t quite as easy.”

“Hence the reason for two different threats. If you were to kick it Uncle Peter would be my Second and...” she looked at her uncle, “No. Just _no_.”

“Meh,” Peter shrugged where he sat on the floor with a sleeping kitten in his lap. “Can’t argue with that. The amount you would have me do if you couldn’t ride your brother...I wouldn’t want that either.” 

“Lazy bastard,” she muttered.

“That’s a quarter!” Ziva announced.

“Indeed it is. Such a dirty mouth on you Laura, you know better than that.” Peter grinned lazily and pet a sleeping Squiggles. “And you started it, you don’t want me as a second any more than I want to be one.”

“I learned every curse word I know from _you_ , which is part of the reason I don’t want you as my second. You’re a bad influence. Whose idea was a swear jar anyway?”

“Mr. Stiles!” Ziva chirped.

Derek chuckled as he caught Laura’s eyeroll at that. “Stiles comes up with the best ideas, doesn’t he Zippy?”

“He did that at our house as well.” John nodded. “It’s a good thing to have.” And he had been needed in their household after Claudia passed away. 

“I find Stiles’ swear jars odd. Because he doesn’t actually have a problem with swearing,” Allison said.

“My problem is with the reaction of other people when you bust out the bad words or god forbid a kid in your care say one.” Stiles’ voice came from where he was basting the turkey.

Lydia nodded, “It’s one of those things it’s not worth fighting about when other people get so militant while you simply don’t care.”

“That’s the truth.” Jackson agreed. Some battles simply wasn’t the worth the effort. You won more by walking away.

Derek stayed quiet. He cursed and used bad words but he didn’t want Ziva to be looked upon differently because she used bad words at school or with friends. Therefore he did his best to watch his language when she was around.

Melissa shook her head, “Societal rules make things so much more complicated than they should be. Especially the butt backwards ones.”

Lydia perked up, she _loved_ discussing societal rules and their flaws, “And those should change with changing times but it’s so hard to manage it when it shouldn’t be.”

Allison chuckled and started to help Scott with braiding Ziva’s hair, teaching him the proper tension and pattern as Melissa and Lydia began debating and discussing the stupidity of society.

Scott tuned them out. He was very used to his mother’s ‘rants’ and he had heard plenty of Lydia’s as well. Instead he paid attention to how Allison braided Ziva’s hair. If they had a daughter, he really didn’t want to be useless when it came to grooming her. 

Stiles peeked out of the kitchen and smiled. There were all his people, all curled up together and as happy as possible even among those grieving. It was a good night.


	21. Chapter 21

Stiles caught Ziva when she threw herself at him and sniffled into his shoulder, his eyes on Laura. Laura who was a little bloody and a lot blue from the incredibly fast little shit that had zapped sharp icicles at her. Apparently they had a pissed off winter sprite in town.

Derek made sure that Ziva was safe with Stiles before walking to his sister, cupping a bruised and bleeding cheek in the palm of his hand. Since the wounds were caused by a supernatural being, they would take longer to heal, even for an alpha. “What happened Sis? What did you do?”

“Be born apparently,” she grit out through chattering teeth while she worked another icicle out of her arm, “Zippy and I were walking up the drive. That’s all. We didn’t step on anything, knock into anything, or even talk about anything but how excited she was to tell Stiles about the snowflake artist downtown.”

Stiles rubbed Ziva’s back and studied the pattern of injuries. Laura’s back bore the brunt of it and before she’d lunged at him he’d seen the cut on Ziva’s cheek so he knew Laura had taken an attack meant for Ziva. 

Derek’s eyes flashed bright blue. He pet Laura’s cheek, careful not to hurt her as he looked around outside. They had barely recovered from the last threat and the last thing Derek wanted now was someone or something else targeting his loved ones. “Do you know anything about how to catch a creature like this? Or at least drive it away before it hurts someone else or hurts someone seriously.” Derek looked at Stiles questioningly.

“Winter sprites typically avoid Beacon Hills,” Stiles said, shifting Ziva so he could get at her cheek and heal it, “Or they have for the last five years.”

“Since your mage abilities awoke fully,” Laura said.

“Mmmhmm,” the cut on Ziva’s cheek sealed then faded, a slight golden glow lingering until it was healed. “They generally don’t bother werewolves or normal humans beyond catching them in mini blizzards to try and freeze them to death.”

“Then why did this one go after Laura and Ziva?” Derek didn’t understand it. He held his arms out for his daughter so he could hold her and make sure that she was completely fine and so that Stiles could get to Laura and help her heal since her wounds were worse. “This is much more than any little blizzard.”

“I don’t need,” Laura tried to wave Stiles off and found her face cupped and amber eyes looking into hers.

“Alphas are allowed to accept help Laura,” a single pulse of magic removed the remaining icicles before he stripped Laura down to her underwear so no cloth got stuck in the wounds, and then he began healing her injuries. “Chris and Victoria occasionally had problems before Scott and Ally began dating, he might know more.” He didn’t say anything about his personal theory, not now, not in front of Ziva.

Laura picked up on it though, her eyes flickering red in realization before curling her hands around Stiles’ wrists, leaning into him.

Derek was very curious and he wanted to know everything about this to make sure it didn’t happen again but right now there were no answers to be had so he focused on his girl instead. “Are you okay Fleapea? Are you hurt anywhere else?” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“No.” She burrowed into her Daddy, “It was scary and the ice man kept screaming at me.”

Laura frowned, “I didn’t hear any screaming.”

“Winter sprites speak in the wind. Only those they want to hear do,” Stiles said grimly, “What’d he say Princess?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t understand him,” she breathed in the safety of her Daddy, “It sounded like kref mordarecee.”

Laura saw flames rise in Stiles’ eyes, literally.

“Krew mordercy?” He was very careful to keep his tone gentle but there was fury buried underneath.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Derek held Ziva tighter, the barely constrained fury in Stiles’ eyes made him want to protect his daughter all the more. Not from Stiles, never from Stiles but from the thing that could wake that kind of rage in Stiles. “What does it mean?” 

Stiles shook his head.

Laura heard Peter enter the house with Squiggles after the daily attempt at walking the fluff ball, “Zippy I know you want to stay with your Daddy,” and boy did she know Derek would want to keep his daughter close, “but he and Stiles and I need to talk grown up Pack things. So I need you to go with Uncle Peter. He’ll keep you safe.”

Peter furrowed his brows in question but he trusted that he would get answers later. “Come her squirt.” He plucked her from Derek’s arms, ignoring how Derek held on to her for just a little while before letting go. “You and I’ll go and see if we can get Squigs to use the toilet, he listens to you better than he does me.”

Peter carried the girl away, the kitten following them.

Derek waited until they were out of sight and hearing. “What the hell is going on?”

“Krew mordercy,” Stiles said, finishing his healing of Laura and moving to the trunk in the room that held fluffy blankets, “is Polish. Directly translated it means killer’s blood but the meaning is closer to blood of the murderer.”

Laura’s eyes went bright red, “It attacked Ziva because her biological mother is Kate?”

“More because of who her biological grandfather is. Gerard is dead but sometimes the things he did echo. I spoke to Chris about things that might come after my pack years ago and he said his father had killed a nest of winter sprites when he was younger. They hold genetic grudges.”

“I do get what you’re saying but Ziva had nothing to do with that, she wasn’t even born.” Derek pulled at his hair miserably, not knowing what to do. He wasn’t about to let anyone go after his sweet baby girl though, they would have to tangle with him first. “There must be some way to get this or these sprites to back off, to leave Zippy be.”

Laura studied Stiles, “They don’t mess with Allison do they?”

“Nor Chris by association,” Stiles went to Derek, coaxing him to stop pulling on his hair, kissing his fingertips.

“Because Allison is your pack and they don’t dare piss you off.”

Stiles nodded, “I’m an Inferno. Pissing me off is a good way to wipe out the remainder of the nest Gerard tried to kill. Clearly I need to make a point that they trespassed and attacked my cub.”

“....or we can call a meeting and discuss something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

Derek gave his sister a questioning look, he had some suspicions about what the meeting would be about but he hadn’t thought Laura would bring it up so quickly. Perhaps she wouldn’t have if Ziva hadn’t been targeted. 

“Stiles,” He held on to Stiles’ hand. “I agree with Laura, I think we should call everyone together, your pack and ours.”

He cocked a brow, “Does this have anything to do with the looks Laura keeps tossing my way?”

She wasn’t surprised that he’d noticed, “Yes.”

Derek nuzzled close to Stiles, needing to be close to him. He still felt _wrong_ to have let Ziva out of his sight. Even though he knew Peter would do his all to keep her safe. "Want to discuss things with Stiles before we call everyone together?" He looked over at his sister.

“No,” Stiles was the one who answered, “It’s a pack matter so everyone in both packs should be here.”

Laura nodded in agreement, “Everyone needs to give their opinion together. Zippy too. I’ll tell Peter about the attack and the reason before we meet up, Stiles will tell his pack, then we’ll get together and talk turkey.”

“Okay.” Derek nodded and, they were two alphas and they should decide how they wanted to handle this. He trusted them. “Does anyone mind if I go check on Zippy?” 

Stiles leaned in to brush his lips over Derek’s, “Of course not. I have a bunch of mopey puppies to gather up after all.”

Laura nodded, “Just send Peter down.” 

“I will.” Derek agreed and leaned in for another small kiss before walking upstairs to his daughter. He nodded at Peter who pressed a kiss to Ziva’s forehead and ventured downstairs to his niece and Stiles.

Stiles was on his phone and he nodded at Peter in acknowledgement, “And I don’t care if your strap-on is literally inside him. Ziva was attacked by a winter sprite and if Laura hadn’t been there she’d probably be dead. Get here. Now.” He hung up on Lydia’s demands for more information then dialed Chris Argent’s number since that was where Allison was today.

Laura was smiling just a bit at him before she turned her blanket wrapped self toward her uncle, “You heard that summary.”

“I did and I got Ziva’s version of the story as well, managed to read between the lines some.” Peter wrapped his arms around Laura and hugged her. His actions saying more than words ever could about how grateful he was that Laura had intervened and how proud he was over her. He didn’t even make an inappropriate comment about the strap-on comment he’d overheard. 

She hugged him back, both still a little cold and grateful for werewolf body heat and needing the comfort, “None of the people in Stiles’ pack get targeted by the sprites so he’s getting the troops together at my request.” She knew her uncle would read between the lines perfectly. He’d taught her how to do the same after all.

Peter nodded and kept on hugging her. “I think that is an excellent idea.” Since werewolves ran hotter than humans, he hoped his body heat would help jumpstart Laura’s own and warm her back up. “Want me to get some of Der-Der’s clothes?”

“Sure. At least one of his shirts anyway.”

“Sorry Danny,” Stiles’ tone was different with the other man, “I know you’re twitchy. Thanks. See you in a bit.” He hung up and rolled his shoulders, “Okay my group is on their way.”

Peter rubbed his hands up and down Laura’s arms before going to get her one of Derek’s soft, warm sweatshirts. It was like a huge dress on Laura. He grabbed woolly socks as well so her feet wouldn’t be cold. Since their whole pack was already in the house, there was no one to call. 

Once Laura was dressed and sitting down Stiles went to crouch down in front of her, taking her hands and trickling just a little heated magic through her. “This should chase the last of the lingering ice magic away.”

She looked down at the top of his head and murmured, “You do this a lot.”

“Mmm?”

“Work with me.”

He met her eyes, his lips quirking just a little bit, “Yup. I know.” He felt Laura’s system begin to respond and ended the flow of magic as a car door slammed and frantic footsteps sounded outside, “I’m betting that’s Isaac.”

“Wouldn’t take that bet.” Peter drawled just as the door flew open and a very tall, very concerned curly haired man rushed inside and fell to his knees next to where Laura was. “Are you okay?”

Derek and Ziva came downstairs again. Derek having Ziva in his arms since he was still rattled.

Laura reached down to coax Isaac up onto the couch with her, “I’m fine. Alpha werewolf remember?”

Stiles moved over to Derek so that Ziva was sandwiched between them and ran a hand down blond curls, “Hey Princess.”

“The mean sprite can’t come inside right?” She held Squiggles close and peered at Stiles.

“Absolutely not. Especially not while I’m here.”

“No one is going to hurt you, we won’t let them.” Derek nuzzled her hair and shifted so he could hold Stiles too with one arm, making it a group hug between the three of them. 

Isaac pulled Laura close. “I know you’re an alpha, that doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt or that I won’t worry about you.”

She turned her head to nuzzle at his jaw. Less than a month and she’d fallen _dangerously_ in love with this man. “You’re sweet Isaac, makes the hidden nips even more fun.” She heard a Porsche’s engine purr to a stop, “Lydia and Jackson are here.”

Jackson followed Lydia inside, looking around the house curiously, wondering what they were all being called here for. “Mr. Argent, Scott and Allison were right behind us so they should be here soon.” 

Another car came up the street and it wasn’t long at all before Scott burst through the door.

Allison was just a step behind him, and her eyes took everything and everyone in, including the very disgruntled Lydia. Disgruntled but the way she looked at Ziva and Laura showed that concern was outweighing interrupted coitus. She walked over to Stiles, Derek and Ziva and brushed hair out of Ziva’s eyes, “How’re you feeling pumpkin?”

“Scared.”

Allison nodded, “It’s okay to be scared but we’re all going to make sure you’re safe and the sprites never try to hurt you again.”

“We totally are.” Scott agreed, eyes soft and worried. He hated anyone, especially a child that he had become very fond of, being scared. “We’re going to fix this and you won’t ever have to be scared of a mean sprite like this ever again. You will be able to play all you want outside.” 

Jackson moved to sit down but after a small wince he decided to remain standing. He still had a major case of blue balls since their sexy times had been rudely interrupted.

Lydia was just grateful that all she had to worry about was wet panties after the interruption, “Are we certain I can’t go scream at them?”

Stiles had to smile, “Laura has another idea, to prevent death on all sides.”

“Well that’s no fun.” She saw Danny’s rented SUV pull up and Erica and Boyd step out of it after him, “Gang’s all here.”

Erica was looking decidedly rumpled as well as she walked in with Boyd and Danny so it looked like Lydia and Jackson weren’t the only ones who had been interrupted during a private moment. “Cool, everyone’s here.” She walked over and kissed Stiles’ cheek before tweaking Ziva’s nose. “Care to tell us what’s all this is about?”

“A meanie winter sprite went after me, Auntie Laura kept it from hurting me. And now she and Stiles are planning something,” Ziva said, snugging her head on her Daddy’s shoulders.

Stiles hid his smile in her hair. Clever girl, picking up on what even Laura hadn’t yet. He kissed her head, “Smart cub.”

“Yup.” Derek agreed with a small smile. “Very, very clever.”

“Of course she is, I’m the one teaching her.” Erica bragged, having no qualms about taking the credit for Ziva’s smarts. “And you stop snickering.” She pointed a threatening finger at Isaac who was chuckling into Laura’s hair.

“Ziva’s intelligence has nothing to do with your teaching,” Lydia drawled, “and everything to do with her own natural ability.”

“Moving on before a sniping match starts,” Laura said, “We could go with Stiles’ original suggestion to deal with the winter sprites.”

“Sizzle and steam everywhere,” Danny asked.

“That is what I was thinking but I think Laura might have a different approach.” Stiles said.

“I do. You’ve been working with me, you consult me before you do anything that affects the territory, and even before you and Derek got a clue,” she ignored her brother’s blush, “you were helping me and my pack. Since they arrived your pack and mine keep growing closer. I’m half certain I saw Peter helping Lydia pick out lingerie at the mall.” 

Peter ignored Jackson’s growl at that. “Well, she is the only one of the bunch with some sort of taste.” He sniffed. “And don’t growl at me White Fang...didn’t you enjoy that lingerie?”

Jackson couldn’t argue with that, Lydia had looked stunning in her new underwear. 

“So you what?” Scott furrowed his brow. “Want to make us one pack? Lead by two alphas?” He didn’t really see how that would work but that seemed to be what Laura was hinting at.

“Jackson you once asked me why Scott was genuinely qualified to be my second over Danny or Lydia,” Stiles said, “I give you exhibit A.”

Laura smiled, “That is, essentially, what I’m saying yes.”

“How would that work?” Allison frowned, “I mean two alphas in one pack...doesn’t sound feasible.”

“Under normal circumstances, no. But there are a few things that make it possible for us. Stiles is human. Even with the alpha abilities and magic my wolf doesn’t see him as a threat.”

“I’m physically weaker than Laura,” Stiles explained, “It makes her wolf feel secure and my wolf already defers to her, respects her.”

“Then there’s the fact that Stiles has magic, is connected to the nematon. That means he’s an emissary. An emissary’s job is to protect their pack as a whole. An alpha either listens to their emissary’s advice or risks the emissary ripping their spark from them. A bad alpha is supposed to be taken out by the emissary.”

“And both Stiles and Laura really do respect each other, there won’t be any power struggles or backstabbing going on.” Derek wanted this, he could admit that. He wanted them to be one pack, he and Ziva already had a strong bond with Stiles but he would never be able to turn his back on Laura, she was his alpha his sister and his best friend all rolled into one. 

Erica tapped a hot pink nail against her bottom lip. She was human so she didn’t have the instincts and such like the wolves had but she couldn’t see an issue with this. “Will it change anything in how we interact with Stiles?”

“Not much. If our packs merge I’d be the dominant alpha, Stiles’ alpha orders in a combat situation would not supersede mine and unlike him I wouldn’t let insubordination slide with a gentle punishment,” she checked Stiles’ reaction and saw a shrug and knowing half smile, he knew he was a sucker, “I’m not just a wolf alpha, I was born a werewolf, I have a harder line I hold. But over time it would become natural to speak to me about certain things first. Think of it in terms of a traditional Mom and Dad household. Stiles would, for lack of a better term, be Pack Mom. Territory security, pack security, and the battlefront would be my job. Pack _stability_ , health, and diplomacy would be Stiles’. With a side of truly terrifying whoop-ass when needed.”

“Like Melissa proves, pissing off a Mom is a bad, bad idea,” Allison mused.

“And I don’t think anyone here doubts the levels scary that Stiles can get.” Scott beamed at his best friend. “I don’t have anything against this. I think it could be a good thing for all of us, a uniform pack, safer for everyone since we are in the same territory and all that.” Not to mention that it wouldn’t leave Stiles alone when the rest of them had to return to school, he would still have pack around him to look after him and whom he could look after in return. It would make Scott feel a whole lot better about having to leave again.

“We’d have time, to get used to the shift,” Danny asked, “because everyone but Boyd and Erica are still in school, away from Beacon Hills. It would be a shift right?”

Laura nodded, “You’d all still be connected to Stiles but he wouldn’t be the ‘power hub’ of all of you.”

Lydia’s eyes sharpened, “It would lessen the strain on his magical core, bolster him more.” It wasn’t a question. “He’s not a wolf, supporting a pack of people, keeping them connected without the actual physicality of a wolf strains his magic to keep it together.” She’d noticed that a long time ago. “But it’d be natural for you.”

“It would actually make Laura stronger.” Peter piped in. “Laura is born to lead, Talia knew she would be the next alpha the moment Laura was born. We don’t have magic the way Stiles does and so it is not nearly the same for us and especially for Laura. She would be empowered instead of strained. And Stiles will be more powerful as well, his magic being rerouted back where it belongs.”

“And my chest wolf will be less...crabby for it,” Stiles admitted, “It doesn’t like extraneous use of power.”

Laura’s lips twitched, “Plus I get an in-house alpha to bitch about the stupider instincts about.”

Stiles’ agreeing eyeroll was a thing of sarcastic beauty before he sobered, “On top of all that, if any of you wanted to become a werewolf, Laura could do it without causing conflict.”

“Wanted and have thought it through completely.” Derek added, he knew none of the humans were stupid but it warranted repeating. “Laura would never bite anyone against their will, not even if you were dying. Without express permission, she won’t bite.” 

Isaac fiddled with the cuff of his striped cardigan. He had thought about wanting to become a werewolf for a long time, ever since he found out about Scott and Jackson. He wanted to finish school first though, being a new wolf away from pack, that didn’t sound like a good idea.

“And only after schooling is finished and you pass training unless it’s one of those life or death situations and I’m told to bite. And never, never more than one per training period because my _God_ only an idiot turns a bunch of people at once,” Laura exclaimed. She could smell Isaac’s interest and tangled her fingers with his. “There are pitfalls to being wolf.”

Boyd hummed, “How would the pack merge work?”

“A blood and small power exchange between me and Stiles.”

“How much blood are we talking about?” Scott was for this but he didn’t want anything to happen to Stiles. Stiles had already lost enough blood for a lifetime in Scott’s eyes and he would do anything to protect him. 

“Nothing major, more a token than anything else.” Peter replied in a calm tone, not even snarking at the puppy wolf. He respected wanting to protect and look after your pack, that was one of the few things he didn’t make fun of.

“Just barely Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” Laura said.

Stiles snorted in gentle amusement, “And with a merge there’s one more mutual benefit. Alliances and protections are shared. So the sprites will know instinctively to stay away from Ziva.”

“And all of you can benefit from the alliances I made while we were roaming.” Laura said, “the Cambridge pack loves me.”

“They do.” Derek agreed. “To the point where they wanted Laura to accept the alpha pair’s sixteen year old son in marriage….Speaking of, Robert should be over eighteen now, right Laura?” He grinned at his sister.

Isaac looked interested, not in this Robert character but the pack in Cambridge since that was where he went to school at Harvard. Perhaps if they were on good terms, Laura could come visit sometime.

“And I will thank you not to remind me of Robert ‘I’m think I’m too sexy for my shirt’ Markham. My God I swear his parents only suggested it so someone could bring the little snot down a couple pegs,” she snorted, “Though dying all his clothes pink and putting the dye in his shampoo was inspired Uncle Peter.”

Ziva giggled, “He screamed like a sissy.”

“That he did Pumpkin.” Peter’s smile was nothing but evil. “And an all pink Robert was an improvement to the original, I still stand by that. At least it gave him some character instead of the boyband knock off look he was going for.” 

Derek couldn’t fault Ziva for calling Robert Markham a sissy, he really was one though that wasn’t a word she should use. “I don’t know sis, he might show up on your doorstep one of these days. He did brag to all his friends about the hot cougar he’d landed.”

“ _Cougar?!_ That little sonuva.....I can’t say it. I actually like his parents.” She growled, “Someone needs to show that little weenie up.”

Stiles smirked, “Isaac could do that when he goes back to Harvard.”

“Sure I could, I’m used to douchecanoes.” Isaac smirked right back, his smile crooked and wicked as he tossed a glance in Jackson’s direction.

Jackson just blew him a raspberry. He knew better than to be fooled by Isaac’s innocent looks, the man could be a demon when he wanted to.

“Works for me because God knows if I go to Cambridge it won’t be to kick a little snot’s butt into the ocean. I like my trips to be fun.”

“But you’ll make a trip to spend a little time with a curly haired pup,” Stiles smirked at her.

“You bet your sweet hiney I will.”

“Good thing.” Isaac’s smile softened and he leaned in and placed a nibbling kiss right beneath Laura’s ear. 

Eyes rolled at the way she almost purred and leaned into him. Stiles cleared his throat, “So, opinions on a pack merge?”

“I’m in.” Scott said and wrapped an arm around Allison. “We’re practically one pack as it is and with Stiles and Derek growing closer, that’s where we were heading anyway. Doing it now is only a bonus since it keeps the sprite away from Ziva.”

“I’m in too.” Erica nodded. “As long as Stiles is really okay with it.”

Danny nodded, “I’m all for it. We’ll have time to get used to the shift in dynamics over miles of distance and breaks back here so it shouldn’t be too rough.”

“Well of course I agree. It’d be stupid not to with you and Derek then Laura and Isaac practically attached at the hip,” Lydia said briskly.

“Where Lydia and Danny go, so do I.” Jackson said sardonically and giving a soft sigh of release when his dick finally went down so he could sit down. 

Isaac snickered at him. “You know my vote, I am all for it.”

Boyd just nodded his agreement and Allison lifted an eyebrow as if to ask if Stiles was genuinely crazy enough to think she’d protest.

Stiles just grinned, “That’s my whole gang so,” he lifted his brows at Laura.

She got up and went over to him, cupping his face, “You are a little shit. And yes I know I owe the swear jar approximately five dollars now Zippy. Tell me Stiles, can you grow claws?”

He understood instinctively and flicked a glance at Jackson and Allison, silently asking them to hold Scott back, before concentrating and having gleaming gold magic claws sprouting from his fingertips. He let Laura position one set of her claws at the back of his neck, mimicking her with his own. Digging the claws of the other hand into the palm he gripped her equally bloody hand as they sank their claws into each others’ necks. He felt his wolf roar in excitement before it rushed out of him and another swept _into_ him, inspecting all the nooks and crannies, taking his pack bonds in delicate jaws and leaving a strong thread of them all braided with others behind as it ran away and his own wolf returned, curling up around the new bond arrangement happily.

Scott had gotten ready to jump up and pull Stiles away from Laura the moment claws were mentioned. It was Allison who held him back, he could have fought off Jackson but he couldn’t do anything that might hurt Allison. Also, if she trusted what was happening, then it couldn’t be all that bad.

Derek watched carefully, he could already feel new bonds with Stiles’ pack and with Stiles himself. Another dimension to the ones already there for Stiles. “Do you feel it Fleapea?”

Ziva nodded, “Uh-huh. It’s nice, like a big warm blanket.”

Laura had to breathe out a little shakily at the flush of power that punched into her through the new bonds. She gently took her claws out of Stiles’ neck and released him, carefully guiding him to lean against Derek before closing her eyes to adjust to the new bonds and the power they brought with them.

Stiles was a little woozy from the backlash of his magic returning to itself so he leaned hard into Derek as he waited for his head to stop spinning, “Whoa.”

Allison pet Scott’s chest gently, “Shh, don’t you feel it? He’s fine.”

When he allowed himself to calm down some, he could indeed feel Stiles. Stiles was still there, their bond thrumming strong and he was fine. He could feel the new bonds too.

Derek shifted Ziva to the side so he could wrap an arm firmly around Stiles as he kissed his temple. “Power rush?”

“Holy Monkeys yeah,” he turned automatically into Derek, “My head’s a little spinny with it.”

Laura laughed, opening red eyes that faded back to the Hale green as tension fled from her and she went back to sit on the couch again, “It’ll probably take longer for it to pass for you. Magic as opposed to pure power tends to have a trippy effect.”

“Noticing,” Stiles murmured.

Derek kissed him again and moved to one of the armchairs in the corner and sat down, pulling both Stiles and Ziva along with him so they were all cuddled up together in it. If Stiles was trippy than he shouldn’t be standing. And Derek happily grasped any chance to cuddle Stiles so it was a win win situation for him.

Isaac wrapped his arm around Laura again, pulling her close to his side.

“So,” Lydia drawled, “Not that I’m knocking the joy of the merged pack,” because her inner banshee was itching to warble, “but now that it’s been done, do we really need to stick around or will there be a celebration dinner after Stiles returns to normal?”

Peter looked from Laura to Stiles and then met Lydia’s green eyes. “I’d go with a celebration dinner later, Stiles is gonna be tripping for while yet. Go do your thing.”

Jackson looked like a hopeful puppy at that. 

Stiles waved his hand, “What Petey said. go back to what you were doing before being rudely interrupted.”

Laura chuckled, “Shoo.”

“Good. Come on Jackson.” Lydia was already clicking out on her heels.

Jackson nearly tripped over his own feet in his hurry to follow her out of the house and to the car. He was more than ready to pick up where they’d left off.

Isaac chuckled softly at them. 

“We should get back too.” Erica gave Boyd a very pointed look. “Want a ride Danny?”

“Since it’s _my_ rented SUV shouldn’t you be asking if I’ll give you a ride angel?” Danny stood up lazily, “I’ll drop you and Mt. Chocolate Thunder off.”

“What makes you think I meant a ride in a car sweet cheeks?” Erica winked at him as she laced her fingers with Boyd and pulled him alongside her out of the house, blowing a kiss to Stiles.

“I love you angel but unless Boyd’s offering his ass up, you don’t really do it for me,” Danny drawled and followed them out.

Stiles started cackling, “I love Erica and Danny’s relationship. They are total bros.”

Allison pulled Scott down to sit with her, “Stiles is so much fun when he’s loopy.”

“Is this something that happens a lot?” Peter asked curiously. “Is there some sort of drug habit we should be aware of?”

Derek just found him adorable, like a cuddly kitten.

“No drug habit, doesn’t happen often, but he is an adorable drunk.” Allison chuckled, “Unfortunately he’s never actually gotten drunk on purpose. Oh God remember the blue punch Scott?”

“I can never forget, nor do I want to.” Scott cackled madly. “I so wish someone had taped Stiles that entire evening because he was hilarious.”

“Who says I wasn’t recorded for posterity,” Stiles said, snuggling so intently that he wound up with his head in Derek’s lap, Ziva giggling down at him. He crossed his eyes and made a face for her.

“You were?” Scott’s brows went up into his hairline. “Why haven’t I seen this glorious footage then? It should be shown every Christmas, just like It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“What did you do?” Derek looked down at the man in his lap, tracing a few freckles along his jawline and neck with a soft fingertip.

Stiles giggled, “I’ll never teeeeell.”

Allison’s lips twitched, “Well he got pierced, then proceeded to perform the entire works of Queen atop a table for starters.”

“So far I can’t disagree with any of that. I do enjoy that piercing on a very personal level and Freddie Mercury should be named a god, he certainly sung like one.” Derek smiled down at his loopy love. 

“Yeah but you haven’t seen Stiles when he’s _performing_ ,” Allison snickered, “He sings okay but he performs like a drunk giraffe missing a leg.”

Stiles blew a raspberry at her, “I resemble that remark Missy soon to be Missus.”

“Then Lydia challenged him to act out the Hawkeye Initiative. I’m not sure anyone knew just how flexible he was until then.”

“Now this sound very intriguing.” Derek’s smile grew. “You certainly were busy doped up on blue punch.” 

“I can guarantee that no matter how drunk, he can’t have danced worse than Derek does stone cold sober.” Peter cackled.

“Thas okay. I can teach him to shake his hips easy. Though can’t teach him t’other stuff.”

Allison perked up like a wolf catching a scent. Stiles was easy to get embarrassing information out of when he was tripping, “What other stuff?”

“Y’know. T’stuff M’liss gave me the class for.”

“Class for what?”

“Ya know, t’pole dancing stuff. ‘S a really good work out.”

“ _Duuuuuude_.” Scott was gaping. “Mom gave you a class for stripper dancing?”

Derek swallowed and shifted a little in his seat. There was one thing to dream about Stiles pole dancing, knowing it really was like that made his mouth dry.

“S’not stripper dancing, ‘s _pole_ dancing, not clothes removal. ‘M already down to bike shorts when I hop the pole.”

Laura’s shoulders were shaking and she was hiding her face in Isaac’s shoulder, more because of Derek’s reaction than anything else.

Derek was beginning to look pained, now he couldn’t stop imagining Stiles, practically naked on a pole, navel piercing shimmering when he moves. 

“How good are you at it Stiles? Want to show us?” Isaac was an evil little shit, he didn’t deny it. 

“Yeah, we’d really like to see you,” Allison said sweetly. There was no way she was going to miss out on recording this. No possible way.

“S’pose so. Gotta go to my basement next door though. Thas where my pole is.”

“Oh you just stay where you are, Scott and I will go get it buddy.” Isaac grinned and rose from his seat, motioning Scott along with him. No way he was going to risk Stiles getting distracted why he was getting the pole. 

“Isaac you can’t just move a dance pole around,” Stiles said, “‘S bolted into the floor and ceiling. Has to be secure so it doesn’t topple and make owies.”

Ziva was watching the proceedings with rolling eyes, “Daddy can carry Stiles to the basement.”

“Oh right.” Isaac looked properly sheepish.

“I had no idea that Stiles had practically the makings of a gentlemen’s club in his basement.” Scott still looked shellshocked.

Derek shook his head and motioned for Ziva to slide off his lap so he could carry Stiles properly.

Stiles giggled as Derek lifted him up and buried his face into his neck, “You smell good.”

Laura got up and picked Ziva up, holding her close as they all, Peter included, treked over to the Stilinski home and down into the basement. It was a very clean set up, the pole in the center of a polished floor, bolted to the ceiling, as advertised, with stall and parallel bars on the wall as well. It was a serious workout room.

Stiles bent himself back and grinned upside down at Scott, “Scooooooooooootty.”

“Yeah bro, what is it?” Scott sounded slightly apprehensive, not sure what Stiles wanted from him and considering the pole, he thought he had a right to be a little scared.

“Gotta stereo over there, put it on track three for me?” He slithered down out of Derek’s hold, kicking off his shoes and socks then taking off his shirt.

Allison had her cell phone out and recording in an instant.

“Sure thing.” Scott breathed out a breath of relief and hurried to comply.

Derek swallowed again, watching Stiles take his clothes off. He had to keep reminding himself that there were more people in the room, his daughter being one of them.

Stiles kicked his jeans off, leaving him in just the boxer briefs he’d worn today, and walked toward the pole as Shakira’s She-Wolf began playing.

Laura’s jaw dropped as Stiles lifted himself up onto the pole and hooked his knee around it, his other leg dropping down almost parallel with his chest as he spun around the pole. Then he gripped it with both hands, holding himself out away from the pole as he did a midair perpendicular split. “Wow.”

Derek nodded. His thoughts still drifted to the gutter a little but more than that, he was seriously impressed. The way Stiles moved, it took strength, a lot of it and Stiles moved so fluently. He made it look easy. 

“That...is awesome.” Scott was in awe. “Totally and completely awesome.”

Isaac nodded. They were watching an elite athlete at work right now. 

Allison’s brows were halfway up her forehead and she murmured, “How the heck does he _do_ that? Most people take _years_ at least a solid decade to get that good.”

"It's Stiles." Isaac mumbled, eyes still trained on Stiles who was hanging upside down, holding all his weight on the pole with one leg. "He never is like _most people_ and thank god for that."

Laura watched as Stiles went through an entire routine, actually getting _more_ coordinated and graceful as the song wore on then ending on the floor, knees on the floor, hands behind him, his entire torso in a deep bend that rippled with each heavy exhalation as the song ended.

Ziva applauded loudly, “That was soooo cool!”

Stiles got to his feet and leaned on the pole, a smirk warring with his blush, “Thank you Princess. And you,” he pointed at Allison and Isaac, “Are evil, wicked people.”

Isaac managed to look a little sheepish but there was a small smile lurking at the corner of his mouth. “Sobering up from the magic rush I take it?” 

“That Stiles...was absolutely incredible!” Scott’s eyes glowed with admiration as he looked at his best friend. “Like...like warrior fierce.”

“Why thank you Scotty,” Stiles went back to his clothes on the floor and began sliding into them, “And yes, the trip is over. Allison are you sending that video to who I think you are?”

Allison smiled, “Lydia’ll enjoy it.”

“Of course she will, that was some performance.” Scott nodded, knowing that once Lydia saw it, it would only be a matter of time before everyone else in the pack saw it too. Erica would definitely pout about missing the live show.

Peter just had fun watching Derek, he believed Stiles might have actually broken his nephew.

“Evil and wicked I say, evil and wicked. Derek you okay there babe?” Stiles tilted his head in question at his somewhat glassy eyed werewolf.

“Hmmm?” It took a while but Derek did manage to snap out of the mind space he had slipped into. “What? Oh yeah, I am fine, just fine. Great work.”

Shirt still in hand Stiles walked over to him and wrapped his free hand around the back of Derek’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss, “Did I break your brain?”

“Not so much break it as send it into space perhaps.” Derek grinned a little and kissed back, reaching up to rub Stiles’ back. “You looked beautiful though. Really did.”

Stiles leaned back into the touch, “Well I had to do something to keep up with the unfairly pretty people around me.”

“I still want to know when and how you learned that,” Allison said.

Stiles sighed and shimmied into his shirt, “Melissa gave me the name of her instructor when I asked if she knew of any high impact core strength workouts that wouldn’t have me looking like I spend all day in the gym.”

“Well it worked. That’s a truly impressive show of strength and you still look as lean as ever.” Isaac’s nose wrinkled as he smiled happily at Stiles. 

“Wait a minute.” Scott looked like he had been slapped with a fish again. “Mom’s instructor? Mom...pole dances?” 

Stiles pursed his lips, “Oh it is so, so very tempting to torment him,” he murmured then blinked innocently at Allison’s hard stare, “No. Her instructor is a yoga teacher too but I caught onto advanced yoga poses too easily for Olna so she decided to teach me her other specialty. Melissa finds it hilarious.”

“She would yeah.” Scott muttered, silently relieved that his mom didn’t work the pole. And that sounded so wrong even inside his own head that he decided to leave the subject completely.

“Only one I have ever heard about that catches on to advanced yoga poses too easily.” Isaac shook his head. “You’re one of a kind Stilinski, definitely one of a kind.”

“Of course I am,” Stiles said as he wiggled his shoes back on, “You should have seen Olna’s expression when my knees hit the floor the third time doing plow pose. She started cussing in German.”

And Derek’s brain stuttered to a stop again.

Peter snickered. “And your puppies aren’t the only wicked ones.” He walked over to Ziva. “Come on Zippy, let’s head back to your house and let your daddy smooch Stiles like he wants to. You can show me where Derek has hidden the cookies I know he baked earlier.”

“They’re in the prune can!” Ziva jumped from her aunt’s arms to her uncle Peter’s, “Behind the pepper box.”

Allison grabbed Scott’s arm, “You know cookies sound great. I am a little hungry.”

Scott nodded, happy to leave since he didn’t need to see any smooching going on, besides, cookies sounded pretty good right about now.

“I am never one to turn down cookies.” Isaac offered Laura his arm.

Derek couldn’t even be upset about his tattletale daughter, his brain was still stuck on Stiles doing the plow.

“Huh? What? What’d I say?” Stiles was genuinely baffled as the others made a quick exit out of the room, “Derek?”

Derek just pulled Stiles close and slanted his mouth over Stiles’, kissing him like he had wanted to do since Stiles began to pull his clothes off.

Stiles made a startled sound then moaned into the kiss and jumped up so his legs were wrapped around Derek’s waist as he sank into the kiss.

Laura peeked down just a second then locked the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted before joining the others in raiding the cookies and milk. Best holidays ever. She slid a look over at Isaac and smiled. But if she had her way, they’d get even better as the years passed.


	22. Epilogue

“Uncle _Stiiiiiiles_! Make Ziva share the atomic cookie!”

Stiles rolled his eyes from where he was pulling the turkey out of the oven, “Victor that’s Ziva’s trophy cookie for her win at the swim meet. As nice as it would be for her to share it with you, she doesn’t _have_ to now stop pouting and don’t you dare try getting your Uncle Derek to support your greed.”

“Thank you Papa!” Ziva hollared, sticking her tongue out at Victor McCall.

“None of that.” Derek leveled his daughter with a look as he came inside the kitchen, carrying several pies that Melissa and John had brought over. “You don’t have to share but no tongue outside of your mouth and no gloating.” He put the pies down and ruffled Victor’s hair. The boy had his mother’s dimples and his father’s puppy dog eyes. He was lethal.

“Someone needs to put the heathen in his place. He is spoiled _rotten_. Only talks about sharing when he wants something,” Ziva was thirteen now and had no patience for a greedy, spoiled little cousin, “but let someone ask him to share something of his and it’s like you asked him to give up an arm.”

Stiles’ lips twitched, “Blame his Grandpa and Peter,” he angled his head at the two men outside who were frowning up at the mistletoe that had taken hold in the oak tree there, probably debating the best way to get rid of it. At least that’s what they _had_ been doing before Peter had pounced on Chris to kiss the hell out of him.

Derek watched as Chris froze completely before grabbing Peter and kissing back vigorously. He let out a soft breath of relief at that since his uncle had been crazy for Chris Argent for a long, long time now. 

He turned to his daughter again, as always struck by her grown up she looked. “I’m not disagreeing with you Ziva but you know better. There are much better ways of teaching your _five_ year old cousin how to share than sticking your tongue out at him.” 

“I’m speaking to him in his language,” she broke off a piece of cookie and popped it into her mouth as a gray tabby jumped up onto her shoulder purring and rubbing cheeks, “Hey Squig,” she scratched the cat behind the ears, “Aunt Laura let you go at last?”

“He escaped,” Laura said as she waddled into the kitchen, rubbing her prodigious belly, “After the Champ here decided to punch him in the nose. I swear she’s half kangaroo sometimes.”

“Well her daddy is all legs so it isn’t that strange.” Derek grinned at his sister, he was so happy that she and Isaac had lasted, grown stronger over the years that they had been together and now they were becoming parents. 

“Point,” she settled into a kitchen chair, the gold ring on her finger catching the light as she poked Victor in the cheek, “I think maybe your Mom and I need to have a discussion about your troubles sharing hmmm?”

“Nooooooooo! Grandpaaaaaaaa!” Victor ran out of the kitchen to Chris, barrelling into his legs pleading for him to save him from Mommy and the Alpha.

Stiles snorted in amusement, “I want to know where his personality comes from because that is not any of Scott.”

“Me I’m afraid,” Allison came in, holding a mocha skinned, golden curled cherub, “I was horrible until I was ten.”

“Easy when you’re an only child I think.” Derek said and beamed at the little girl in Allison’s arms. Erica and Boyd made gorgeous children. “Hi there Fliss.” 

“You know Laura really will have a talk with him if he keeps it up.” Isaac came in as well, making the kitchen a whole lot crowded. He still looked ridiculously baffled and proud every time he saw his wife’s stomach.

“Good,” Allison said as the baby waved at Derek and babbled incomprehensibly, “He needs to be schooled. And clearly I need to have a discussion with my father...I don’t know who should take the newspaper to Peter.”

“That’s easy, Granpa John,” Ziva said, breaking off a little bit of cookie and giving it to Felicia, who squealed happily and proceeded to gum it to death, “He’s still scared of him.”

Stiles chuckled, “Not half as scared as he is of M’liss,” he exchanged an amused look with Ziva then started to grip the sides of the turkey pan in order to carry it to the dining room table.

“Stiles,” Melissa called out in warning, making everyone in the kitchen give him confused glances, “wait for Scott.”

Stiles lifted his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation while Ziva giggled, “Hush you.”

“I’ll do it Grammy Melissa!” Ziva hopped up and took the turkey from her Papa, kissing his cheek, “she’s just too adorable,” carrying it out of the kitchen.

Derek gave his suddenly very helpful daughter a questioning look as she swished out of the kitchen and then turned to his husband, raising his brows. “What was that all about?” He walked over and kissed Stiles’ cheek before picking up the bowl of steaming hot mashed potatoes.

“Melissa is crazy, that’s what,” Stiles shook his head and ignored Ziva’s cackling from the living room. He stuck his head out the door and whistled for those outside to come in, “Peter stop tickling Chris’ tonsils. We will not save you any of the sweet potato casserole.”

“As long as I get to nibble on this hot piece of hunter hiney I don’t care.” There was an oomphing sound, making a strong case for Chris having pushed Peter away. It wasn’t long before both of them came in looking red cheeked and well kissed. 

Victor was still glued to Chris’ leg, “Papa Peter you’re so weird.”

“Understatement of the millenia,” Allison announced before taking Felicia into the dining room as Erica and Boyd came in from having rolled around in the snow, Erica’s eyes fading from gold as she warmed up.

Boyd beamed at his daughter, “There’s my baby girl,” he reached out and took her from Allison, rubbing noses with her and blowing a raspberry on her tummy, getting a laughing squeal.

Erica just beamed at her man and child. She loved this life, the one she had with Boyd and Felicia and she loved being a wolf, never having to wonder or fear when her brain would decide to kill her. 

Jackson was placing his son in the high chair next to him and Lydia, pressing a loving kiss to downy, copper colored hair.

Lydia couldn’t help reaching over and ghosting her fingers lovingly over the back of Jackson’s neck. He was the most incredible, loving father. She might have been a little worried when she’d first become pregnant. Concerned Jackson would barricade himself off. But her mate, her always surprising asshole husband, hadn’t so much as flicked an eyelash. From the second she’d told him it was like a love switch had been flicked. He’d buried his face against her belly and murmured I love you baby into her skin before moving up to kiss her and remind her that he loved her too. And he’d done the same thing every day of her pregnancy, and every day, sometimes multiple times a day, Jackson told their baby how much he loved him. Told him and showed him. Jackson had taken to fatherhood like a duck to water and preferred to hold Max over almost anything else.

Her mate did the majority of the changing, the bathing, dressing, rocking to sleep. Lydia was certain that if he could Jackson would nurse Max without any complaint. Of course she still got to participate in caring for their son, but she was more than happy to work in concert, letting Jackson lead. It made both her boys so happy.

Stiles brought out a plate of homemade baby food and passed it to Jackson, “There you go, one Magic Baby Bullet pureed Christmas dinner for baby Martin.”

“Thank you Stiles.” Jackson smiled at him before beaming at Max who was smacking his lips at the sight of the food, his chubby little baby hands making grabby motions toward it. “Nuh uh Maxwell, Daddy holds on to this and help you eat.”

Derek waited for Stiles to sit down before sitting down as well, all of them gathered to celebrate Christmas together.

Ziva gave pleading eyes to her Papa and her Alpha, “Everyone’s here and sitting. Can we go ahead and eat pretty please?”

Laura chuckled, “You know the rule. Not-So-Secret Santa gifts first.”

“Well hurry! I’m starving!”

“I’m with the Zip,” Allison said, “Let’s get the not actually secret santa out of the way.” She tossed the small box she’d brought to the table across it to Erica. Which just started the exchange double time.

Stiles quietly slipped his gift to Derek, he’d had to bribe Ziva with the truth to get his mate’s name, an envelope with a couple pictures, onto the empty plate in front of him while Derek was busy passing a present to Chris. Then Stiles picked up the box that had been handed to him and started plucking at the edges, listening to Derek for his reaction when he noticed and opened his gift.

Derek looked down at the envelope and and opened it, at first he had no idea what he was looking at. He recognized it as ultrasound pictures but he didn’t get why he had been gifted them until his brain clicked into place. Melissa’s hovering and concern and Ziva’s cackling amusement. “Stiles.” His voice was just a soft whisper. “Is this real?” 

“Those are really bad words to say to me babe. I am having the hardest time not breaking into Bohemian Rhapsody now,” he dropped the spell he’d been using to hide the change in his scent then reached over to let Derek sniff at his inner wrist, aware of the entire pack watching them. He saw all the wolves’ eyes go wide when their noses told them what was up, “Very real.”

He couldn’t believe it, well he could but still. “I love you.” Derek was tearing up and he couldn’t care less. He was having a baby with his husband. He looked closer at the pictures and lost his breath all over again. “Are there two bean shapes here?”

“Yup. What can I say, when you do something Big Bad, you do it right,” Stiles took a drink from his water glass, ignoring his nerves. Even Melissa and Ziva hadn’t known the number. That had been something he’d wanted Derek to know first.

Derek practically dove at Stiles, kissing him desperately, not having words for how happy he was and how much he loved his husband.

The table burst out in congratulations and chaos as everyone had something to say. 

Ziva bounced in her seat, “Two?! I’m gonna have two siblings?! YES!” 

Melissa chuckled and kissed a gobsmacked John’s cheek, “So how much bacon do you need to absorb this information?” She murmured to him as Stiles clung to Derek, drawing their celebratory kiss out.

“Just plop a whole pig on my plate and call it a day.” John looked dazed, dazed and happy. He was going to have more grandchildren. It was amazing. 

“I’m gonna be a great uncle again!” Peter cackled and stood up, raising his glass. “I want to propose a toast for Stiles and Derek and for our whole crazy family! I couldn’t wish for a better one.”

Laura lifted her glass of cider, “I’ll drink to that.”

Everyone else raised their glasses while Stiles and Derek were in their own little world.

Stiles broke the kiss with Derek, smiling, “Merry Christmas babe.”

Derek cupped Stiles’ face in his hands and looked into his eyes, his heart in his own. “Merry Christmas love. Never could have imagined that moving back here would make all my dreams come true. Thank you for that, thank you for everything.”

“Hey I got someone I love with all my heart and a daughter when you came back. So I’m pretty fucking grateful to you too,” it was a murmur, just below the hearing of anyone but Derek, “And I’m looking forward to seeing you with our beans.” He pressed his lips to Derek’s again, ignoring the catcalls from their pack. This was perfect, messy and chaotic and absolutely perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! Happy endings all round. Thank you for joining us on this little journey, for reading, for every single wonderful comment, kudos, and bookmark. We love you people!


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